


The Diamond Race

by Greyscale



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), EXO (Band), K-pop, NCT (Band), iKON (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Action/Adventure, Advanced Technology, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Angst and Humor, Car Chases, Crossdressing, Drug Dealing, Drugs, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Gangs, Illegal Activities, Lovers To Enemies, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, POV Multiple, Rating: M, References to Drugs, Spies & Secret Agents, Team Dynamics, Torture, Undercover Missions, Violence, kpop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 17:18:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 83,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18503512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greyscale/pseuds/Greyscale
Summary: Valued at nearly 400 million dollars one of the world's largest and rarest pink diamonds, the Aetherius Aurora was stolen from the BNP Paribas SA bank in Paris, France, by the infamous gang, Blackpink. A week later, rumors in Busan say that Blackpink is selling the diamond at a street race. Tasked with finding and retrieving the diamond, the agents of team Exo are thrust into a world of street racing, midnight clubs, and gangs. However, the various personalities within team Exo threaten not only the mission, but the team itself.---“The Aurowrow what now?”“The Aetherius Aurora.” Xiumin corrected Baekhyun with a sigh. He desperately needed a coffee, maybe with a shot of vodka in it.---The loud sound of a phone ringing cut off their argument. Their heads turned towards the tinny sound of Tokyo Drift filling the room.Suho blushing and flustered, hurriedly turned off his phone."You put Tokyo Drift as your freaking ringtone?" Baekhyun rose an eyebrow."I thought it kind of fit our current situation, in a funny way.""Idiots." D.O turned away from the pair in irritation and muttered under his breath. "I am surrounded by idiots."





	1. Chapter 1

23:00 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

Paris, France at midnight was one of the world’s most valuable jewels, it was practically priceless. She figured she would steal it if she could. From her outdoor seat, just below her she could see people, tourists posing for pictures to take a piece of this jem with them. Most people came to Paris for love. Some marked anniversaries for old love, for others, it was the beginning of new love.

Lisa Manoban wasn’t in Paris for love. She had her eyes on something much, much more worthwhile. She sat nonchalantly dressed in a simple black pantsuit from Luisaviaroma, at a table in the Le Jules Verne, enjoying a crème caramel. Normally the Le Jules Verne was closed around nine-thirty, but it was a special anniversary. It was the day the Eiffel tower was completed and opened to the public. 

Popping another bite into her mouth, Lisa slowly savored the sweet taste, enjoying how the soft texture was, as it melted in her mouth. 

“Enjoying yourself?” 

Lisa didn’t bat an eyelash as Rosé appeared before her, dressed elegantly in a soft pink halter dress. She sat down across from Lisa, plucking the spoon from her hand and serving herself a piece of the crème caramel. Lisa wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“Gross.”

Rosé smirked, no matter what she did, she could always get a reaction from Lisa. The poor girl just didn’t know how not to react to a little teasing.

“You know you love me.” Rosé teased as she held the spoon just out of Lisa’s reach, shoving more of the crème caramel in her mouth hastily.

“I _definitely_ don’t.” Lisa swiped at Rosé. “Come on, give it back.”

“Stop fooling around.” A sharp voice cut through their earpieces. 

Across the room, Jisoo sipped her champagne with a smile as she engaged the president of the BNP Paribas SA bank and older city officials in small talk. It was almost as though the cold command hadn’t come out of her mouth at all. 

Lisa pouted, mischief glinting in her eyes. She snatched the spoon back from Rosé who frowned. Lisa stuck out her tongue eating another bite of crème caramel.

“Aww, Jisoo’s cranky.”

“Behave Lisa.” Jennie’s voice entered their earpieces with a chuckle.

Jennie flipped lazily through the menu in front of her, four tables down and two to the right of where Lisa and Rosé were sitting. At first glance Jennie looked like an innocent customer, however she was carefully observing the people in attendance.

“You have the Minister of Commerce to your left.” She chided. “Have some manners Lisa.”

“But I’m _bored_.” Lisa whined as she set down her spoon beside the now empty plate. “When do we get to the fun stuff?”

“When Jisoo can steal the bank president’s key card.” Jennie replied as she ordered a chicken paillard and red wine. 

“Unless of course,” Jennie paused on purpose, a smirk curling on her red lips. “you want me to help you out, Jisoo?”

“I can handle this.” Jisoo hissed. She turned slightly to send a glare at Jennie, who merely winked back. 

Tonight was the night. They had planned, trained, and prepared in every way for the next hour. In an hour or two, they would be pulling off one of the greatest bank heists in history, and Jisoo would be damned if they screwed up. Not only were they risking their lives, they would also be risking their reputation. Just the thought made Jisoo jittery. She gripped the stem of the glass tightly, keeping her eyes on the president. 

“Tick-tock Jisoo. You are certainly taking your time, aren't you? Dear me, ever the socialite. Can’t even get your hands dirty.” Jennie teased instantly interrupting Jisoo’s thought process, as Lisa and Rosé laughed.

“Rosé, do you have access to the BNP Paribas SA bank’s security? We need everything ready correctly, if we want to pull this off right.” Jisoo snapped trying to get the other girls to focus back on the real reason they were in Paris, at this affluent dinner party.

“Way ahead of you. I can at least do my job, Jisoo.” Rose chirped as she ordered another crème caramel.

Jennie and Lisa’s laughter crackled in Jisoo’s ear, irritating the elder. 

Jisoo rolled her eyes, glancing at Jennie to get the younger two, to settle down.

“I think we should cut Jisoo some slack, she doesn’t pickpocket often.” Lisa smiled as her eyes met Jennie’s across all the tables.

“You can just say you need help, I won’t judge.” Jennie smirked as she swirled the red wine before taking downing it.

“What did I say about drinking on the job?” Jisoo growled.

“I can handle my liquor.”

“Like you handled the job in London.”

“Geez, it was one time.” 

“It was also more than one glass of wine.”

“Lisa! Not helping.” Jennie groaned.

This time it was Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa chuckling.

Jennie liked a little drink to loosen her nerves. Tonight was going to be a big night for them, and it could make or break them. To say the least, Jennie didn’t want nerves to be the reason she would mess up, if she did at all. She took two bites of her chicken paillard before setting the silverware down. She watched Jisoo as she laughed entertaining the older men who had flocked around her like flies to honey. Jisoo looked like she was having trouble staying near the bank president who was now moving away from her and chatting with some other men, just out of Jisoo’s immediate reach. Jennie shook her head and sighed.

Jisoo is taking way too long.

She ordered another drink.

“Jennie, what are you doing?” Jisoo’s warning tone filling Jennie’s ears as she received the wine.

Jennie didn’t answer, calmly waltzing over to wear the bank president stood, red wine in hand. 

“Rosé be a dear and call that waiter over.” Jennie murmured into her earpiece.

If Jisoo couldn’t do it, she would, damn it.

Rosé smirked, easily catching onto Jennie's plan. She signalled for the waiter, who began to move towards her arriving just in time to crash into Jennie who was just in front the bank president.

It was so smooth it didn’t look practiced. Jennie pretended to cry out and trip. Then, with practiced ease she flicked her wrist, showering the bank president’s white shirt in her red wine as she fell to the floor.

There was an immediate commotion. The waiter stammered apologies in French as he attempted to rectify the mess he thought he had created.

“Oh mon Dieu! Young lady are you alright?” The bank president, ever the gentleman reached out to help Jennie up, despite the mess on his shirt.

Jennie hid her smirk as she took his hand and pretended to stumble closer to the president, her hand smoothly retrieving his wallet and keys from his pockets, before correcting herself with a blushing smile.

“Je vais bien merci monsieur. I am so sorry for ruining your shirt.” Jennie tilted her head in concern.

“It is not a problem, young lady.” The bank president smiled. “I can always replace my shirt.”

“Poor, sheep.” Lisa snickered as Jennie made her way the bathroom. “He has no idea what just hit him.”

“Jennie, I had it under control.” Jisoo huffed, setting her drink down as she too, prepared to leave the dinner party.

“Consider this a favor, Jisoo.” Jennie chuckled. “You can always thank me later.”

Jisoo sighed. Some things never changed, like Jennie’s spontaneousness. 

“Let’s get a move on ladies. We have work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! My name is Greyscale! (￣▽￣)ノ
> 
> This is my first published fanfic, so please bear with me. (*chuckles nervously because they have no idea what they are even saying*) (*/▽＼*)
> 
> So I saw this fan-made trailer by @Jisoosthumbs on YouTube called The Diamond Race, which has the same title as this work and I was inspired to write this. @Jisoosthumbs is an awesome video maker and editor, you should totally check out her material, aside from The Diamond race! I don't necessarily follow the same plot @Jisoosthumbs had on YouTube for The Diamond Race, but I want to give credit to the original idea. I also don't follow the plot because I wanted to add my own touch and I don't want you to expect what I'm going to write (sorry if that sounds a bit mean).
> 
> I'm a huge fan of @Unclassifiedsenpai, @Jongnugget, @SooSooDyo(Phinphin), @elderastarte, and many more (I highly recommend reading their fics if you haven't already. They are honestly so good!). They all sort of inspired me to publicly write this fic, so please enjoy! I love comments, so if you have something to say please do! Constructive criticism is welcome, but mean and rude comments are not. I do read the comments, and I will reply to any questions you may have about the story. I also give credit to those who ask questions in later chapter notes.
> 
> The tags on this story are a work in progress. So are the character relationships. For those who might be wondering what I mean, I am talking about the possible ships within the story. I've only just started, but I would like to make it clear, that even I have no idea who will end up with who yet. You are welcome to speculate, but don't assume, because it might not be what you think it is (*laughs evilly from the shadows*) (･ω<)☆.
> 
> I'm also a multi kpop fandom stan so please don't throw the kitchen sink at me if you see some other kpop groups in here (Who knows, I might even do a spin-off, if I finish this). I do occasionally reference the kpop music videos, fandom inside jokes, or theories within certain groups, so keep your eyes peeled. Let me know if you catch them in comments.
> 
> I will try to update this story every weekend, if not every two weeks. The chapters maybe long or short depending of whether or not school gets to me first. But I will do my best to update.
> 
> Thank you for reading this super long note, and thank you so much for picking this fic! It means a lot to me that you've chosen to read this! I'm going to get back to writing -->__〆(￣ー￣ ) because there will be many chapters!


	2. Chapter 2

A week later… 

02:00 Barcelona, Spain 41.3851° N, 2.1734° E

He wasn’t going to make it.

Baekhyun ran through the cobblestone streets at full speed, desperately look for a way out. He could hear the cars behind him, the engines roaring. It was like the hunting howl of a wolf pack, with Baekhyun as the pitiful prey.

The dim light of the street lights was practically useless to him. The night was so dark, the lights barely made much of a difference. His breath misted in front of him as he gasped for more air. The cold air was like a knife, searing through his chest as his heart beat frantically. The bag on his back was weighing him down, but Baekhyun couldn’t ditch it. It was the whole reason he was in this mess to begin with. Baekhyun turned a corner and bolted down the steps.

_Faster, I have to get faster. I need to get in range._

A loud popping sound filled the air. To the untrained ear, it sounded like firecrackers. To a trained ear and mind like Baekhyun’s it was the sound of gunshots. They were shooting at him now.

 _I am so screwed_.

“--khyun!” A voice crackled through the comm unit in his ear.

Close.

Baekhyun turned another corner, running down towards what he hoped was a street. The shots were getting closer. The last thing he wanted was a bullet. If he got into the street he could mingle in with the night crowd, it would be easy to lose his attackers.

Baekhyun sprinted, forcing himself forward, and straight into a tall black iron gate. He frantically slammed his hands against the gate, hands fumbling to find a way to open it. It was no use, the street was in his sights, but out of reach. This time, Baekhyun was sure he was going to die.

“Fuck.” Baekhyun hissed.

“Baekhyun!” Xiumin’s voice was suddenly clear.

“Xiumin, I’m trapped.” Baekhyun turned his head, hearing the cars approaching.

“I’m sending Kai.”

“He’ll be too late.” Baekhyun countered. “I’m in the old part of the city. In the middle of it, I don’t think he’ll be able to make it here.”

“We know, Chen has you on GPS right now.” Xiumin replied. “Hold tight, Kai will be there in 5 minutes.”

“I need him here _now_.” 

The sudden roar of a car engine caught Baekhyun’s attention. He quickly flattened himself against the stonewall of an old house in the shadows.

“Can you hold them off for a bit?” Xiumin asked.

“Maybe. I think there’s more than two cars. There has to be at least four. They're shooting at me too.”

“Four?! Baekhyun you need to get the hell out of there.”

“Only if I have _permission_ to do whatever it takes to get the hell out of here.”

Baekhyun could picture Xiumin rubbing his temples as he thought Baekhyun proposition over.

“Make sure the laptop remains intact. _No civilian casualties_ and do not attract attention. We don't need the public all over this.”

Baekhyun grinned. He let his hands reach for the two Glock 21s strapped to his thighs.

“Of course Xiumin. You can count on me.”

Baekhyun was pretty sure he heard Xiumin scoff in the comm unit, but he had already turned to face the cars that were beginning to surround him.

A large man stepped out of the leading car. He wore a well fitted suit and had tattoos across face. Large rings flashed on his fat fingers and a large cigar hung from his lips. One of his eyes as a milky white and a scar ran across his face. Baekhyun found himself facing none other than Marcellano Cortez, the mafia leader of Spain. 

“Hand over that laptop, pretty boy.” The man called to Baekhyun.

“You mean this?” Baekhyun gestured to the backpack he was carrying. “I’m sorry, bud. I can’t let you sell nuclear weapon blueprints.”

“Then I’ll just take it from your dead body.” Cortez snapped his fingers, and Baekhyun watched as men exited the four cars, all of them armed.

 _This must be my lucky day_. Baekhyun thought dryly to himself as the men charged at him.

Extensive training, thankfully, had Baekhyun prepared for a moment like this.

He ducked under the first gun aimed at him, forcing the man’s hand up, and slammed the but of his gun into the man’s ribs. There was a satisfying sound of ribs crunching that told Baekhyun that he had successfully cracked a couple ribs. He dragged the groaning man, using his body as a shield against the barrage of bullets coming his way. It was almost child’s play. The men attacking him were armed, but not trained well. He calmly broke wrists and dislocated arms. Men fell, groaning in pain as Baekhyun moved through them all.

When the next man came, Baekhyun threw the body towards him and fired at the men behind him. Baekhyun aimed at their arms and kneecaps, he preferred not kill anyone tonight. He dodged a fist and knocked the man out with a hit on the temple with the butt of his gun. He needed to move quickly. Kai wouldn’t be able to get to him if he was stuck in this mess.

As the next group of men neared him, Baekhhyun aimed his guns, only to hear the fatal hollow clicking sound. He was out of bullets.

 _Shit_.

Tossing the guns aside he quickly reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and withdrew a flash grenade. Pulling the pin, he threw it at the men who were still coming for him. He quickly covered his eyes and pulled the pin of a smoke grenade to further disorient his attackers. 

Adjusting the backpack on his shoulders, Baekhyun charged at the nearest car. He leapt onto the hood, then the roof gracefully, before jumping off and grabbing onto the top of the black iron gate. He quickly lifted himself over, landing in a crouch on the other side, triumphantly. He took off at a sprint again, not wanting to find out how quickly the grenades would wear off. 

“Xiumin, where the hell is Kai?!” Baekhyun yelled.

Baekhyun figured if he got out of this alive, he would scold the other agent.

“Calm down. He’s on his way.” Xiumin replied. “How’s your situation?”

“I’m headed for the main streets. I’m going to try blending in.”

“That’s a risky move. There are a lot of civilians where you are going.”

“I don’t have a choice.” Baekhyun replied. “Cortez is too close, hopefully the crowd this will scare him off my tail.”

“Kai said he’s a minute away.”

“That’s go---.”

Suddenly Baekhyun was sent flying. His body crashed against the cobblestones, then down the stairs as he fell. Pain flared throughout his body, making Baekhyun groan. His breath came out in labored pants as he looked up to see what hit him. 

Standing above him was one of Cortez’s hitmen. A crooked smile cut across the man’s face as he approached Baekhyun’s broken form. Baekhyun quickly attempted to push himself up weakly. His hands gave away under him the first time, sending his body right back onto the cold and unforgiving stones. The second time, he managed to get to his feet, swaying slightly from the pain.

"Baekhyun! What's going on?" Xiumin yelled into the comm unit.

Ignoring his teammate, Baekhyun turned to face the larger man.

“Come on.” Baekhyun grit at the man. “What are you waiting for?”

The man didn’t bother to answer Baekhyun, instead he lunged at him. Baekhyun ducked quickly and brought his hands up in front of him, slowly changing his stance to fit all the Hapkido lessons he had taken years before. 

The man smirked and pulled a knife out of his boot. It glint wickedly in the light of the street lamps, and it had Baekhyun’s name all over it. Baekhyun dodged the hitman’s first two slashes at him, quickly stepped into the man’s space and landed a punch to his stomach. Baekhyun was quick to step back, but he wasn’t fast enough. The knife sliced into the arm of his blue leather jacket and into his skin. Biting back a yelp of pain Baekhyun staggered away from the man. 

He needed to run. He had to get to the main roads and vanish into the crowd. Just as he turned to escape, the hitman grabbed him by the hook strap of the backpack and threw him to the ground.

Baekhyun winced. Xiumin would kill him if the laptop was damaged in anyway. Before he could get up, the hitman was on top of him, punching him hard in the face. Baekhyun blocked the next two punched and landed a sharp jab at the man's stomach. The hitman rolled off with a groan. He quickly pushed himself up, only to feel the iron grasp of the hitman's hand on his ankle, just before he was yanked back to the ground with a grunt.

"Baekhyun! Baekhyun can you hear me?" Xiumin frantically yelled.

"A little busy right now!" Baekhyun snapped back.

Just as he replied, the man snatched the comm unit out of his ear, crushed it, and tossed it out of reach.

"Hey I needed that!" Baekhyun yelped. 

He brought his hands up in an attempt to shove the man off of his body, only to get slammed back into the cobblestones. The man began to choke him, with his hands pressing into Baekhyun’s throat. Baekhyun struggled underneath him, frantically trying to pry the man’s meaty hands off. Baekhyun punched uselessly at the man, who only tightened his grip on his throat. Black spots began swimming in Baekhyun's vision. He could feel his grasp on consciousness slipping away.

There was a soft popping sound, like someone popping bubble wrap. The man let out a roar of pain, as he clutched his arm. Blood seeped through his fingers as he turned to see who had shot him. Taking advantage of the other’s distraction Baekhyun kicked the man in the stomach and scrambled away.

Kai stepped out of the shadows, a silencer on the gun in his hand. 

“Good to see you’re still in one piece.” Kai smirked as he stepped out into the light towards Baekhyun.

Baekhyun let out a retching cough as he massaged his throat and gasped for air. He shot a glare at the younger agent. What the hell had taken him so long?

“So is he.” Baekhyun rasped as he warned Kai of the hitman rising up behind him.

The man charged towards Kai, bellowing like an angry bull. Kai nonchalantly sidestepped the man, bringing his fist into his stomach. Just as the man doubled over in pain, Kai brought his knee up into his face, a wet crunch sounded. Blood spurted out from the man’s nose as his head snapped back. Before he could recover, Kai punched him in the jaw, dislocating it with ease. Then Kai swung the butt of his gun at the man's temple, a loud crack sounding in the air. The man’s body fell in an unconscious heap at Kai’s feet.

"He won't be getting up for a while." Kai nudged the man's body with the toe of his boot.

“Good.” Baekhyun grumbled as he took Kai’s hand and pulled himself up.

"Where is your comm unit?" Kai pointed at Baekhyun's empty right ear. 

"This guy snatched it out of my ear." Baekhyun pointed at the unconscious man between them. "It was crushed in our little scuffle." 

"I'll let Xiumin know. He'll order you a new one."

Kai paused, listening to his comm unit.

"Err, Xiumin said that's the fifth comm you've broken this mission. It's coming out of your paycheck this time."

"Whatever."

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, and busily dusted himself off, tenderly touching his arm. At closer inspection, the cut wasn’t too deep. Some clean bandages and rubbing alcohol and he would be fine.

“Gosh.” Baekhyun mumbled in annoyance. “This was my favorite leather jacket.”

Kai coughed, trying to get his attention.

“What?”

“Well, for starters, _you’re welcome_.” Kai muttered. “You totally left the guys over the gate to me. Can you imagine the surprise I got, seeing a bunch of smoke in the middle of a street? It was so bad, I could barely see anything. I was lucky those guys weren’t trying to shoot into the smoke. For all the trouble it was worth, I hope the laptop’s intact.”

Baekhyun tried not to think of how hard he had landed on his back when the hitman had thrown him.

“Mm. It’s fine. Now let’s leave before more show up.”

Kai had come to Baekhyun location via his motorcycle, which meant that they had to go back the way they came, and over the black iron gate, which to Baekhyun’s surprise was open.

“How did you get it open?” He asked Kai as the younger closed the gate behind them.

Kai pulled a small glass ball out of the pouch of the gear belt he was wearing.

“I packed acid in my gear belt.” Kai replied. “Speaking of gear belts, where is yours?”

Baekhyun patted himself down, his hands never touching a gear belt.

“I forgot it.” Baekhyun muttered in embarrassment. 

“Figures _you_ would do something like that.” Kai snorted as they reached his motorcycle. 

"That's what I have you for Kai. I can always count on you to save me." Baekhyun's laughter was cut short by the pain in his ribs. He winced slightly, resting a hand on his chest.

"Let's get you back to the safe house, so Chen can patch you up." Kai helped Baekhyun onto the back of his motorcycle.

"Let's ride off into the sunset." Baekhyun muttered into Kai's back. 

He was thoroughly exhausted and in pain. The only thing on his mind was handing the laptop over to Xiumin, getting a hot shower, and diving into his bed.

"Baekhyun, it's two in the morning."

"The dawn then."

"Baekhyun," Kai sighed as he adjusted his helmet. "even the moon isn't out here."

"Just get me the hell out of here Kai."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst! Hey there, it's Greyscale! ヾ(･|
> 
> Welcome to the second chapter of The Diamond Race! Here we meet some of the agents. I realized something might become confusing to you guys later on in the story, so I am going to address it early. Stage names are code names for the agents. Some of you may point out that real names are also stage names. There is a specific reason for their codenames and real names being the same for some of the agents of Exo. Don't worry, it will be addressed in the upcoming chapters!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think about it. If I made any grammar or spelling mistakes, please feel free to correct me! I hope to see you next chapter! Adios! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ


	3. Chapter 3

10:00 Barcelona, Spain 41.3851° N, 2.1734° E

This was nice. 

He was lounging on a beach, a fresh margarita in hand, with the sun above him, giving just the right amount of warmth. This was paradise.

“I can’t believe!” A voice sang loudly in the air. 

Baekhyun couldn’t believe either. This was a lovely day at the beach. It was everything he could ask for and more.

“I can’t believe!” The voice was much louder now. It was almost real.

“Don’t mess up my tempo!” 

Baekhyun frowned. Now that was definitely not a part of his dream. The beach and sun faded vanished from his eyes, giving away to darkness. Baekhyun could feel himself turn over in his bed, the springs creaking. 

“Morning call!”

Waking up to his best friend’s loud singing was not how Baekhyun pictured his morning would be in beautiful Barcelona.

“Chen! I swear to God. If you don’t shut up!” Baekhyun yelled over his friend’s unwanted morning serenade.

It seemed this morning was going to be a terrible one, because not even five minutes after Chen’s singing stopped, Baekhyun’s door was busted down as Xiumin walked in.

“Get up, Byun.” He nudged Baekhyun’s reluctant form with his foot, before proceeding to yank open the curtains. 

Baekhyun hissed, recoiling from the sudden burst of sunlight, but wasn’t given the pleasure of ducking under his covers, because Xiumin quickly snatched them away.

“Xiumin, what the heck?” Baekhyun whined.

Although years of training had required them all to be able to function on little sleep, Baekhyun still preferred to stay under his covers. Baekhyun reached out for the blanket Xiumin had tossed aside, still wanting to fall back into his beach dream.

Xiumin fixed Baekhyun an exasperated look. 

It was always a wonder to him how Baekhyun had been one of the recruits with one of the shortest training periods in their agency. The rumpled, sleepy eyed, pouting, bed headed person in front of him did not fit the description in any way shape or form. Especially with the trail of dried drool running out of the corner of his mouth.

“Get down to the living room in ten, we have work to do.” Xiumin sighed.

He desperately needed a coffee, maybe with a shot of vodka in it.

“Work to do” only meant one thing. They had a new assignment. This caught Baekhyun’s interest immediately. He perked up, shooting out of bed and in front of Xiumin as he was about to leave.

“What is it?”

“Come get breakfast, you’ll know soon enough. It’s all over the news.”

Baekhyun threw on a sweater and sweatpants, before heading down the stairs. He was greeted by a sleepy Kai at the kitchen island, whose eyes were practically closed as he munched on a pincho de tortilla with a cup of steaming milk. 

“‘Morning.” Kai croaked.

“Do you need to go back to bed Kai?” Baekhyun laughed as he helped himself to the coffee beside Kai. 

“No, I just wish Chen hadn’t started singing at five in the morning.”

“Just for the record, I started singing at nine. It is now ten. Besides you all love my voice and you know it.” Chen smirked as he joined them at the island.

“Quiet.” 

Xiumin walked in, having already changed from his pajamas into street wear. He turned on the t.v.

“Live from the scene of the crime, this is Isabella Castillo. Here in Paris, France it has now come to the attention of the BNP Paribas SA bank, that after a week, the Aetherius Aurora has been stolen. This large pink diamond, has a worth of around 400 million dollars, and officials are scrambling to find out how it was stolen. There is a rumor that the thieves are the infamous all women criminal gang known as Blackpink.”

After that Xiumin switched off the t.v. setting the remote on the counter with a loud “clack”.

“The Aurowrow what now?” 

“Aetherius Aurora.” Xiumin corrected Baekhyun with a sigh. He desperately needed a coffee, maybe with a shot of vodka in it. Maybe two shots.

“Please don’t speak with food in your mouth. I got a call last night from headquarters. They want us on this one.”

“What? We just finished a mission!” Chen whined. “I swear we aren’t paid enough for this.”

“A week later? Why did it take them so long to figure out that they had been robbed?” Kai frowned, his eyes were open now. Not that he could see much without his glasses or contacts.

“You know civilians, never up to speed on anything.” Chen waved his coffee cup in the air with disdain.

Xiumin picked up his laptop and set it before the other three. Turning it to face them, he tapped a button which turned the laptop on.

Immediately a woman appeared on the screen, her name was L. L, was their team’s A.I. system. The agency always made sure each team was given their own A.I. The A.I. was in charge of briefing, tracking, monitoring, and assisting the team in all their missions.

“Hello L.”

“Hello Agent Xiumin. How may I be of service?” 

“Please brief us on the theft of the Aetherius Aurora.”

“Gladly.”

L disappeared from the screen and a picture of the Aetherius Aurora, a large pink diamond, appeared in her place.

“The Aetherius Aurora was stolen a week ago.” L began.

“As you might know, this pink diamond is worth 400 million dollars. The robbery was well planned and executed, as the perpetrators left absolutely no traces behind, except this footage from the vault’s security cameras.”

In front of their eyes played a black and white clip. There was a girl leaning against the opened vault examining her fingernails as though she had all the time in the world. The girl was pretty young, around her early twenties with long hair and blunt bangs across her forehead. Large earrings hung from her ears and gleamed in the lights of the vault.

“How much do you want to bet that those earrings, are from the vault too?” Chen chuckled.

“Focus.” Xiumin snapped. “L continue.”

“Of course. The girl on the screen is known as Lalisa Manoban, or Lisa, a member of the criminal gang called Blackpink.”

A detailed profile of Lisa flashed on the screen, listing involvement in robberies in Bangkok, London, Rio de Janeiro, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Paris, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Dar a Salam flashed across the screen.

“Holy shit, we’re dealing with world class stars.” Kai whistled in awe.

“That huge Tanzanite robbery in Dar a Salam was them?” Chen gasped. “That thing was on the news for ages.” 

The robbery in Dar a Salam, Tanzania had been a major shock for most intelligence agencies all over the world. Nearly 100 million dollars worth of the precious jewel had been smuggled off of Tanzanian soil. Tanzanite could only be found in Tanzania and it had been a blow to the government to lose so much. 

Baekhyun felt his jaw drop. He was utterly speechless. Like Kai had said, they were dealing with world class stars. Criminal stars, that is.

“This is a group that specializes in selling stolen jewelry on the black market.”

An image of four women meeting an unidentified buyer in front of a busy city street appeared on the screen as L spoke.

“The other group members are Jennie Kim, Park Rosé, and Kim Jisoo.” 

Another image appeared. This one was a clear image of the Blackpink members’ faces.

“A rumour is going around that Blackpink is hosting a street race in the city of Busan two weeks from now. We suspect the diamond to be sold somewhere during or after the race. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to infiltrate the race and identify the buyer. If you don’t succeed before the deal is closed, the diamond will most likely be lost.”

“We accept.” Xiumin replied to L.

“Your response will been sent to the agency.”

“Thank you L.”

Xiumin closed the laptop with soft click, before turning the other three men.

“Why didn’t you consult us?” Chen whined. “We need a break from this. We just did a mission. I want to get a decent vacation.”

“I think this will be fun.” Kai smiled brightly. “I’ve always wanted to street race.” He looked much more awake and attentive then when L’s briefing had began.

Chen threw the younger a scathing look, that made Kai shrink, despite the fact he was the tallest among them.

“When do we leave, Xiumin?” Chen sighed.

God help him, he deserved a pay raise for all the missions he had to complete back to back.

“Now. First we stop in Paris to get some clues as to what we are dealing with, then we fly to headquarters in Seoul. From Seoul, Busan.” 

“Now? Now?!” Chen threw up his hands. “Ugh! I really should have never picked this job.”

“Baekhyun, you’re awfully quiet.” Xiumin tipped his head at the younger.

Baekhyun didn't reply at first. His lips had flattened into a thin line as he set the coffee cup down with a loud "clink". The corners of his mouth had pulled down and there was an irritated look in his eyes.

“Why do we have to go back?” Baekhyun grit out. He balled his hands into fists to hide how they were shaking.

Kai and Chen glanced quickly between Baekhyun and Xiumin, waiting to see how their leader would respond.

“We have a new mission and we need to drop off the laptop.”

“But there? Seoul headquarters?! You know I don’t want to go there.”

“Hey! That’s home for all of us.” Chen frowned.

Baekhyun met Xiumin’s calm gaze with his sharp glare. The elder didn’t cave.

“We won’t be there long. This is a quick job, then we can all go on the vacations we’ve been dying to go on.” Xiumin reasoned.

Baekhyun’s gaze didn’t waver.

“It’s only for work. Nothing more, nothing less.” He growled before stalking away from the kitchen.

“Why doesn’t he want to go home? Why does he hate Seoul headquarters so much?” Kai frowned, not understanding what was agitating Baekhyun.

“It’s not the headquarters he hates.” Xiumin sighed as he downed his now lukewarm coffee. 

He really should have added some vodka to it.

“It’s _someone_ in headquarters.”

"Headquarters is pretty big. He probably won’t see that person.” Kai still didn’t get it.

“Oh no,” Chen chuckled. “There is _no way_ for him to avoid this person. Especially since we're heading back to Seoul.”

Kai’s eyebrows furrowed as he sank deep in thought.

“Don’t bother about it thinking too hard, you might burst a blood vessel.” Chen added.

Kai threw the remote at Chen, who caught it before it hit him and placed it back on the counter.

“Who could it be?”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Go start packing.” Xiumin shooed Kai and Chen out of the kitchen.

“Hyung, what about you?”

“I’ve already packed.”

“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! It's Greyscale! (￣▽￣) 
> 
> Thank you for reading chapter 3! The story is just kicking off as you can see. I want to tell you all everything, but that would ruin all the fun, I guess. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you in chapter 4! ( ´ ω ` )ノﾞ


	4. Chapter 4

13:00 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

Kai drummed his fingers on his suitcase as he waited for Baekhyun to finish showering in the hotel bathroom.

They had made it from Barcelona to Paris pretty easily. The flight had been around two hours, which was good for him. He couldn’t stand the cramped spaces on the airplanes.

Kai stopped his drumming and turned to the files Xiumin had handed each of them after their arrival at the hotel. It was a detailed profile on each Blackpink member. It listed everything from their real names to their specialties and past operations.

He found himself thoroughly impressed with every member. Jisoo Kim was the socialite and fixer of the group. She got her team into high end places with high profile people and was a sweet talker. Most of her crimes were con jobs, but grand ones. She had even talked her way into Buckingham Palace and tricked a member of the royal family into letting her try on one of their most valuable pieces, before disappearing with it. She must have been the one to get them close to the president of the BNP Paribas SA bank.

Jennie Kim had a series of robberies in her file. Everything from pickpocketing to breaking and entering to home invasions. She was well trained in martial arts and other forms of hand to hand combat. She had weapons training too. There wasn’t much else in her file, which was worrying to Kai. It meant she probably had done some other seriously covert operations that even their agency didn’t know about. In one word, she was dangerous.

Rosé Park was the team’s tech ace. She was wanted for hacking into several top international government intelligence agencies, the United States Pentagon included. She also had a record in hacking well known international banks and syphoning money to untraceable accounts. Rosé also had once been part of a business in counterfeits. Money, artwork, official documents, passports, even birth certificates and death certificates. Rosé was probably the one responsible for the security blackout at the BNP Paribas SA bank.

Lisa Manoban was Blackpink’s youngest member. The pretty face was not to be taken as innocent. Lisa grew up in gambling rings. All the way from working in them, to playing in them, to owning them. She had given up her business, when she had joined Blackpink. Lisa was trained in hand to hand combat, like Jennie, but had better skills in weaponry. Everything from knives and brass knuckles to rifles and rocket launchers, Lisa knew how to use. She also had a track record with chemicals. Specifically chemicals that were poisonous to ingest. In a casio in L.A. Lisa had poisoned the drinks of many buyers during an auction in order to steal a set of jade daggers, belonging to the Shang dynasty of China. Luckily, the buyers at the auction weren’t killed and merely put to sleep. This was a great mercy considering what Lisa could have done. 

Kai closed the file, setting it beside his phone on the small desk. This mission was a serious one, not unlike the missions they had been on before. There was one thing that bothered him, it was that this time it was a team against a team. Blackpink was well trained and organized. The group of women appeared to have a strong bond, one that couldn’t be broken. Years of working together had gotten them success, and he doubted anything could break that.

“Thinking?”

Kai turned and was greeted with a smiling and very, very naked Byun Baekhyun.

“Whoa, what the hell man?!” Kai yelped as he covered his eyes with the file. “Throw a towel on!”

“Relax, we’re all men here. We’re all a team.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to see you the way your mother did.”

“My mother has never seen me like this.”

“You know what I fucking mean. Put on a damn towel. Clothes. Something!”

“I’m dressed now Sister Jonginnie~.”

“Don’t call me that.” Kai glared at the now dress Baekhyun.

“Sister or Jonginnie?”

“Both. We go by codenames outside.”

“Exactly, outside. It’s just us in here bud, no one else.”

“You don’t know that.”

Baekhyun groaned. “You’re no fun. I wish I was rooming with Jongdae.”

“Chen.”

“Ugh. You’re like a mini Xiumin. All up tight. Ever relax, like ever?” Baekhyun pouted at the younger. “What were you looking at anyway?”

“Blackpink files. They’ve pulled off some pretty amazing heists.”

“Yeah, the Tanzanite one was interesting.” Baekhyun murmured as his dried his hair. “Do you think one of them knows Swahili?”

“My guess is Jisoo.” Kai replied. “She’s the socialite of the group. That would require talking to officials, impressing them maybe.”

Baekhyun was quite impressed. The ladies of Blackpink were fairly young. It typically took seasoned criminals to pull off jobs like that. Despite their young age, Blackpink seemed to know exactly how to handle their dirty work, all without fighting each other or backstabbing, which was typical of successful criminal groups. They all worked cohesively, like a trained task team. It was just as impressive as it was scary to say the least.

“Do you think we can take them?” Kai went back to drumming his fingers on his suitcase.

“Of course we can! We’re awesome.” Baekhyun snorted. “This is just another mission. No problems.”

“Then why don’t you want to go back to headquarters?”

At that Baekhyun’s cheery smile faded. The corners of his mouth pulled down as his eyes left Kai’s face. He only saw Baekhyun like this when a mission took a bad turn or when he was interrogating a criminal. That was never a good sign.

“I have some bad memories there.”

“What kind?”

“None of your business kid.” 

Kid. There was the second warning. It screamed for Kai to back off, so he did. He didn’t push the matter further, instead changing the topic.

“Where’s Xiumin?”

Baekhyun brightened.

“He mentioned something about calling in a favor. No idea why though.” 

Kai scratched his cheek. He vaguely remembered Xiumin telling them, that they were going to need help with this mission, before he fell asleep on the plane.

“Any idea who he’s going to call?”

Baekhyun shook his head. 

“Nope. But I hope it’s Heechul.”

Kai wrinkled his nose at the thought. 

“I doubt it, last I heard the SJ team has a mission in London.”

“Then who?” Baekhyun tapped a slim finger on his chin. 

“Could it be TVXQ?” 

“Probably. Xiumin looks up to them a lot.”

Coming to a possible agreed candidate for Xiumin’s favor call, Kai stood up.

“Where are you going?” Baekhyun sat up on his bed.

“I’m taking a shower.”

Baekhyun stood up.

Kai whirled around, holding the towel in his hand like it was a weapon to keep Baekhyun at bay.

“Do not even think of trying to follow me in there.”

“Ewww. What kind of idea is that Kai?” Baekhyun laughed. “I’m heading to Chen and Xiumin’s room.”

\---

Xiumin sat in the outdoor section of a small quaint cafe. The weather was nice, since it was spring, so he had wore a pair of jean shorts with a simple white button down shirt. He had often been told that his looks were disarming. Not the same way Kai’s were, but much more softer.

His youthful face gave the 28 year old, the appearance of a college freshman. Innocent almost, if you didn’t see the rippling muscle hidden underneath the soft looking exterior.

He had garnered plenty of attention when he had entered the cafe and ordered a coffee, during lunch time. Completely ignoring the whispers and glances, Xiumin had taken his coffee outside to a small corner in the outdoor cafe space.

He stared at the burner phone in his hand. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t sure what to do. He had mentioned calling in a favor, to the other members of his team, but he had never told them who.

With shaking hands, Xiumin dialed a U.S. phone number, slowly letting each number sound off before hitting call.

Immediately after, he regretted it. Maybe he shouldn’t call. Maybe he should leave them out, but this person was the only one who knew how to handle what they were dealing with, in a way. Blackpink was criminal and dangerous. Was it worth the call? 

Before he could make that decision, his call was picked up.

“Hello? Hello? Who is this?”

Xiumin froze at the voice. 

“Hey is this a prank call? Hello? Hey this isn’t funny. I’m hanging up now.” 

“Wait!” The word came out of his mouth like a plea.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end was filled with confusion.

“Hello little brother.” Xiumin whispered as his hands trembled.

“Minseok?”

“Myeonnie, how are you?” 

“Minseok?! How did you get this number? Why are you calling?”

Xiumin swallowed hard. It had been a long time since he had spoken to his younger brother. He had left home just before Junmyeon, his younger brother reached his junior year in high school. It wasn’t something Xiumin was proud of. He had made his choice, and that choice had led him away from his family. The agency didn't let him tell his family anything. Instead they covered up his disappearance with a full-ride scholarship to an overseas school. His family had been so proud of him, not knowing that the oldest son wouldn’t look back.

A little after he had left, he made sure to send emails. He could never call, that was too risky. Calls could be traced, and using many burner phones would make the agency suspicious. He kept up with the daily life of his family through a screen. He wasn’t there when Junmyeon got a full ride to M.I.T. He wasn’t there when their father suffered a heart attack. He was never there. He felt like a horrible son. Guilt ate at him, and it still did. He was never there for his family when they needed him. After some time in the agency, it made Xiumin realize that maybe it was better that way.

It was too risky to contact his family often, there were plenty of stories in the agency of the loved ones of agents being killed by vengeful enemies. Xiumin didn’t want to expose his family to anything like that. The risk was too great. The nightmares always got to him. His mother and father dead, blood pooling on the wooden floor of the living room Xiumin and Junmyeon had grown up in. And then, there would be Junmyeon, gasping for air that would never come, his chest red, warm with blood. 

_“Look at what you've done. This is your fault. Minseok, why did you leave us? Why did you come back? Was it for this? Is this what you wanted?”_

Dream Junmyeon would always rasp at him, before dying in his arms.

“Junmyeon, how are you?”

“How am I? How are you?! Mom and Dad haven’t heard from you in ages. How’s grad school by the way? Mom told me you’re getting your PhD!” Junmyeon’s excitement filled Xiumin’s ear.

“Myeon---”

“Don’t tell me you dropped out! Is that why you’ve been out of touch? Mom would kill you!” 

“Junmyeon I didn’t drop out. I’m fine, I swear. I just need a favor.”

“What is it?”

The willingness in his younger brother’s voice almost broke Xiumin. It made him want to hang up right away and leave his brother out, but he needed his help. Junmyeon was one of the brightest minds in computer programing at M.I.T. Xiumin knew this because his mother had sent him pictures of Junmyeon’s achievements and awards. 

During their flight to Paris, Xiumin had received information from the agency. Blackpink's tech ace, Rosé had used codes that even the agency couldn't crack. Although Xiumin had never encountered it before, he frequently had heard agents speaking about it. The program was called Phantom. It was a kind of trojan horse for security systems. The first thing it did was copy the exact layout of any firewall, as a way to sneak itself in. Once the user was past the firewalls, Phantom would constantly change itself, preventing it from being tracked back to the user. Phantom was also capable of overriding systems, and presenting itself as good code. Xiumin knew that in his small team, none of them had the experience to work with programming, to that extent, plus the agency's best and brightest coders did not even know how to use Phantom. Junmyeon was his only hope.

“I’m on vacation in Paris. I was wondering if you wanted to join me.” Xiumin lied.

He wanted to slap himself. Here he was talking to his younger brother he hadn’t seen in ages and the first thing he was lying to him. Manipulating him.

“Paris! Whoa, that’s a bit far.”

“Spring break is tomorrow for you, yes?” 

“It is.”

“My birthday is the day after spring break starts, Myeonie come visit your older brother. I’m lonely. Please.” 

Xiumin let honey coat his words as he lied. It made him feel sick. All those years of training at the agency, all the skills he had acquired, and he was using them on his _own brother _.__

__“Your birthday?”_ _

__“You forgot? Wow.”_ _

__“No-- no, I didn’t forget, hyung. It’s just that you rarely reach out. I miss you, but you don’t-- you don’t seem to miss me.” Junmyeon stammered._ _

___That’s it. Guilt them, make them pity you. Now give them a way to get rid their guilt. Your way._ _ _

__“In your bank account, I’ve transferred enough money for anything you might need for Paris, France tonight. I’ve already booked you a ticket, just pack and bring your passport. Can you make it here?”_ _

__“N-Now?”_ _

__“Yes, now Myeon, this is something important to me. I want to spend my birthday with family, even for a little while.”_ _

__“If it’s for you, I would do anything.”_ _

__Xiumin tried not to cry. Damn Junmyeon and his innocent heart. He was too kind, and Xiumin had known that for a while._ _

__“Junmyeon.”_ _

__“Yes?”_ _

__“Don’t tell any of your friends where you are going okay?”_ _

__“Why not?”_ _

__“I’d prefer if we kept this between me and you.”_ _

__“That’s fine. I can’t wait to see Paris with you! See you soon!”_ _

__“See you soon, Myeon.”_ _

__“I love you.”_ _

__Xiumin found himself chuckling at that. Junmyeon always said “goodbye” as “I love you” to him and their parents. It was something he had done since they were very small._ _

__“I love you to Myeon. Stay safe okay? Call me when you land, I’ll be there to pick you up.”_ _

__“Okay! Love you.”_ _

__“Love you too.”_ _

__Xiumin ended the call, setting the burner phone down shakily. He hoped to God that Junmyeon would arrive safely, and that he wouldn’t get wrapped up in this mess._ _

__He only needed his younger brother to help him identify give him a way to understand and stop the Phantom program that Rosé used at the BNP Paribas SA bank. Maybe even trace the tech that was used and who made it. Then he could send his brother back to safety._ _

__“Someone looks on edge.”_ _

__Xiumin looked up as Chen took the seat across from him at the small table._ _

__Chen wore a simple navy blue jean jacket, with a white “I heart Paris” shirt, and black jeans. He had a wide brimmed hat on his head, and a pair of dark sunglasses hanging from his shirt. He also had a satchel, the strap across his chest. Xiumin figured the only things that could be in that satchel were Chen’s laptop, and maybe a gun. Chen never went anywhere without a weapon._ _

__“You followed me.”_ _

__“I thought you would notice, but you never caught me. You usually do. That means you were wrapped up in your head. That’s a dangerous place to be, Xiumin.”_ _

__Xiumin slipped the burner phone into his pocket. Out of Chen’s reach. Chen had always been like this, even when he was a recruit. He was always testing Xiumin, always keeping him on his toes. It was almost as though he was determining whether or not Xiumin was someone he would respect and follow. There was a cat like smile playing on Chen’s lips. They curled up at the ends in secret mischief, the kind that always spelled trouble._ _

__“How much did you hear?”_ _

__“How much do you think?”_ _

__They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. Each daring the other to look away, neither backing down._ _

__Chen looked away first, turning his attention from Xiumin to Xiumin’s coffee. He nonchalantly took a sip, which he knew annoyed the hell out of the other._ _

__“I didn’t hear anything, really. I just found you here.”_ _

__Xiumin snatched his coffee back._ _

__“I highly doubt that.”_ _

__Chen chuckled._ _

__“Fair enough. I’m just curious, who would you risk calling on a burner phone and say “I love you” to? Do you have a girlfriend?”_ _

__“Back to this again. Why do you want to know so much?”_ _

__“I like knowing everything. Good. Bad. Strengths. Weaknesses. You’re not letting me do my job.”_ _

__“Did you really think spreading a rumor at the agency, that I secretly had a wife and seven kids, was going to make me tell everyone the truth about myself?”_ _

__Chen arched an eyebrow._ _

__“I don’t know what you mean.” He smiled innocently._ _

__That made Xiumin roll his eyes. He remembered all too well walking into the agency one day and hearing the whispers. Then having Kai innocently ask him what it was like to be a father. The cherry on top was being cornered by Baekhyun for a picture of his “kids”._ _

__“I know how you work, Chen. You’re good at forcing people into uncomfortable corners for answers. Try your luck somewhere else.”_ _

__Chen sighed. “I can find out about everyone else easily, but you Xiumin, are a tough one to crack. I always like a challenge though.”_ _

__Xiumin shook his head._ _

__“You already have a challenge, this mission. Not me.”_ _

__Chen’s lip curled at that. Xiumin was always business. So utterly boring. People who acted boring were always hiding something. Xiumin was hiding something and Chen would find out. Maybe not now, but someday._ _

__“You dyed your hair.”_ _

__Chen pulled at the strands of now, rich brown hair._ _

__“Just noticed? I had help from Baekhyun.”_ _

__Xiumin frowned at that._ _

__“Did you dye it in the hotel bathroom?”_ _

__“Yes.”_ _

__“Did you leave a mess?”_ _

__“No. Besides, it’s a hotel, the cleaning staff can deal with it.” Chen whined._ _

__“Doesn’t mean you leave a mess.”_ _

__“We cleaned up.” Chen rolled his eyes._ _

__On top of Xiumin’s boring personality, there was that neat freak, clean freak persona. Chen hadn’t taken it too seriously when he was first recruited until he got hunted down by Xiumin for not folding the training gear properly. He had ended up staying with Xiumin for nearly four hours learning to fold the training gear his way._ _

__“When’s your favor coming in?”_ _

__Xiumin glanced at his watch. It was now three in the afternoon. “Tomorrow, around four in the morning.”_ _

__“Looks like it’s early rising for you.” Chen chuckled._ _

__“No. It’s early rising for everyone.”_ _

__Chen’s smile vanished and was replaced with a frown._ _

__“Why are you like this? You're the one who made the call. Why do the rest of us have to get up with you?” Chen sighed._ _

__A wicked smile played across Xiumin’s lips as he stood up from his seat._ _

__“You all need to introduce yourselves. Besides, we officially start work tomorrow. The sooner we figure out what happened here, we go to Korea and stop Blackpink. Then you can get your vacation.”_ _

__Chen grumbled under his breath. Something that rhymed clucking class role._ _

__“What was that?”_ _

__“Nothing.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 4th chapter is up! ( ´ ∀ ` )ﾉ
> 
> I had a lot of free time on my hands this weekend, so I edited and posted chapter 4 today. What go you think about Xiumin and Junmyeon's relationship? Any guess as to who Baekhyun doesn't want to see in Seoul? Let me know what you think in the comments. 
> 
> See ya! ヾ(^ω^*)


	5. Chapter 5

22:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

_“Thwack!”_

Jisoo didn’t bat an eyelash from her seat at the long glass table. She calmly leafed through her fashion catalogue, browsing through the many pages, selecting the clothing she liked in silence.

She looked like a queen. Her long black hair was pulled up into a high tight black ponytail. Large silver and clear teardrop shaped earring dangled down to her neck, and a string of pearls sat delicately on her collarbones. She wore an elegant white lantern sleeve surplice peplum blouse, with black slim suit pants. The finishing touch was the red Off White heels, a gift from a hopelessly in love, CEO’s son she had run into in Paris.

_“Thwack!”_

Jisoo flipped to another page. 

Shoes.

She figured she needed a new pair of heels. Her favorite pair had been inconveniently misplaced on Lisa’s feet, when the younger had left the apartment earlier. She knew she wouldn’t be getting them back.

_“Thwack!”_

Jisoo figured she also needed that new 24 carat gold face cream. Her skin hadn’t been doing so well lately. Not that any other person could tell. Jisoo always looked stunning. She was often the one critiquing herself than others critiquing her.

_“Thwack!”_

Jisoo set the magazine down, her lips pursed in irritation, turning her head to glare at Jennie who lounged lazily on a pristine white leather couch, a good distance from her. Jennie stood out from the inviting white of the couch. She wore a black sleeveless tactical gear tank top, with white cargo pants and black steel toed combat boots. A weapons belt hung loosely from her hips, she had a gun and knife strapped to her leg, and fingerless brass knuckle gloves on her hands. She was war. 

“Are you mad at me for something?”

“No.”

_“Thwack!”_

Jisoo knew that Jennie was annoyed. The other had scowled deeply when she had told her she would be staying behind instead of going out into the clubs with Lisa and Rosé. The knife throwing was like a toddler's tantrum. Jennie version.

“I think you should practice a bit more on your aim, Jennie.”

“ _Should I_?” Jennie snarled.

_“Thwack!”_

“You seem to keep missing my _head_.”

Jennie didn’t reply. She calmly examined the sleek shining black blade of a combat knife in her hand. She let her finger brush against the flat edge, weighing it in her palm briefly, before leveling an amused look at Jisoo.

“I _never_ miss.”

Jisoo turned back to her catalogue. She picked it up, flipping to a new section. Accessories.

_Hmm, that bracelet looks nice. Maybe I should wear it to the next meeting._

“This apartment is someone else’s. They’re going to be angry when they see the knives in the wall.”

Jennie shrugged. 

“Let them be angry. I think it adds a nice touch. Don’t you Jisoo?”

Jisoo kept her eyes on the catalogue, not meeting Jennie’s playful gaze.

“I know you’d rather be out doing whatever it is you do, but we need to meet some potential clients.”

Jennie sneered at that. 

_Bullshit._

“ _We_? You always do all the talking. Why do you need me here?”

Jisoo set the catalogue down again.

“You know exactly why.”

Jennie rolled her eyes.

“The Aetherius Aurora is just like any other job.”

“No other job has given us 400 million dollars. In case the deal goes wrong, I need you here.”

“Why not have Lisa here?”

“She’s getting things prepped with Rosé. We need to be smart about who we sell this to.”

“I thought our lovely little race was going to decide the buyer.” Jennie tapped the knife handle on her knee in impatience.

“You and I both know that’s a fluke.” Jisoo snapped. “The buyers will be here when the race takes place. Highest bidder gets the diamond, and we get our money. Besides, I need you here in case anything goes south. We can’t sell the diamond if we get shot to bits.”

Jennie pursed her lips in displeasure. She twirled the knife in her hand.

“You’re getting jumpy Jisoo. Since when did you get so jumpy?”

“We stole the Aetherius Aurora, Jennie, I think we have a right to be a little jumpy.”

“A little jumpy can get you killed.” Jennie examined another knife. “A little jumpy _always_ gets you killed.”

_“Thwack!”_

“What the hell is taking them so long?” Jennie frowned. She wasn't used to this kind of business. Typically people waited for them, not the other way around. It had Jennie wondering if that was the reason Jisoo looked slightly anxious. The elder had been silently flicking through the fashion catalogue revisiting pages unnecessarily, as if she was trying to distract herself with the pretty things in the pages. A tell tale sign of nervousness.

Jisoo glared at the knife still vibrating in the wall, just beside her head, before turning her eyes to Jennie who was reaching for another knife.

“They’ll be here soon. You can never rush a client unless you have some dirt on them. We’re merely offering a jewel, so we really can’t rush them.”

_“Thwack!”_

“Can you stop throwing knives?!”

Jennie stood up from the couch and made her way towards Jisoo. She had another combat knife in her hand. She tossed it back and forth between her hands, chuckling when she noticing Jisoo’s unease.

“Scared of knives Jisoo?” Jennie teased.

“Depends on _who_ has them.”

“Don’t worry Jisoo, I never miss.” Jennie plopped down, with a smile, in the chair beside Jisoo, putting her combat boots up on the glass table’s smooth surface.

“How terribly reassuring of you.” Jisoo muttered.

“Loosen up will you?” Jennie swiped Jisoo’s catalogue leafing through its pages. 

A loud knocking at the door announced the arrival of their client.

Jisoo shot Jennie a warning glare.

“Behave.”

Jennie rolled her eyes.

“Of course _mother_.”

"And pull those knives out of the wall, right _now_." Jisoo added.

Jisoo opened the door to two men. Both were dressed in expensive black suits, the gold chains around their necks and the watches on their wrists flashing with unbridled pride. 

“You must be Jisoo.” The taller of the two shook Jisoo’s hand as they stepped into the room.

Jennie eyed the men silently, as she pulled the knives from the wall. She didn’t think the clients they would be meeting would be so clean cut looking. Typically their clients were older men and women, as ruthless as the dead look in their eyes. The taller of the two had black hair on one side of his head and the other side was dyed white, with his hair parted in the middle. He had a friendly smile, border-lining cocky. He moved with liquid ease, as though nothing in the world could threaten him. 

The man beside him was another story. He moved in a stiff fashion, like every step he took was with caution. He had red hair at his roots that faded to black at the tips. His face was stoic, devoid of any emotion. Guarded. The only personality on his face came from the silver tinted glasses on his face. They made him appear even more mysterious that he already was. His narrow eyes flinted from Jisoo to Jennie, then the knives in the wall, then back to Jennie. His gaze was calculating, like he was piecing together little things about them. It was obvious he was the one in charge out of the two men.

“You, must be Jennie. I’m Bobby, and the pitch black ray of sunshine over there is my lovely friend B.I.” Bobby held out his hand in greeting.

B.I walked past without sparing Jennie so much as another glance. 

Jennie looked down at Bobby’s outstretched hand, and didn’t give her hand in return. Instead she staring him down coldly.

“Not the friendly type, I see. You and B.I will get along well.” Bobby chuckled before following Jisoo to the glass table.

Jisoo sat with Bobby and B.I on either side of her at the head of the table, Jennie sat beside Bobby, keeping her eyes on B.I. There was something about how soundless he was that made Jennie nervous. B.I moved without making a sound, if she didn’t see him in front of her, she definitely would have thought he wasn’t there. 

“Rumor has it, you’re the ones who stole the Aetherius Aurora.”

“You should know better than to believe rumors, B.I.” Jisoo’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“I _do_ know better. We’re not in the deal until we see it.” B.I leveled an unwavering stare at Jisoo.

Jennie waited for her cue. She waited for Jisoo to tap the middle finger of her left hand against the glass table. Jennie was itching for a good fight, if Jisoo wanted her to intimidate the two men she would do so. With pleasure.

“How do I know you won’t kill for it once you see it?” Jisoo tipped her chin up, her eyes narrowing as her lips pulled into a dangerous smile.

“iKon always keeps its word. Let us see the diamond, and you have yourselves a deal.” Bobby answered this time.

Jennie’s eyes widened. She let her eyes slide towards Bobby, then to B.I.

_iKon?_

iKon was one of the largest gangs in South Korea. They had emerged not but a few years ago, overturning all the old gangs and establishing a new order. Jennie never thought Ikon were nearly around the same age as Blackpink. She had thought they were older. People who could gather that much influence so quickly were to be feared. She always kept her ear out in the black market and iKon was a name whispered in fear and in awe. The two men before her were dangerous, part of a seven member crew, that headed several gangs all over Korea, with influence in other countries as well. The B.I in front of her was none other than the leader of said group. Jennie felt her heart begin to pound. Suddenly it all made sense. B.I’s soundlessness, Bobby’s cocky behavior. They had a reputation. Adrenaline slowly entering her system in anticipation of any threat. She looked at Jisoo, who stayed as calm and cool as ever.

Jisoo nodded to Jennie’s dismay.

“Fine.”

Jisoo stood from the table, her eyes flickering to Jennie.

_Watch my back._

Jennie nodded slowly in response.

_I’ve got you._

The diamond was in a small black portable safe. It had cost a fortune to make, the safe that is. It, was very sensitive. The safe had both a physical and digital component. There was a fingerprint scanner, if there was a print on it that did not belong to Blackpink, it was set to explode with enough force to blow out the windows in a small apartment complex. There was also a digital code that changed every day, created by Rosé to prevent theft. The only ones who knew how to open the safe were Blackpink themselves, and no one else.

Jennie noticed B.I and Bobby’s posture shift as they anticipated the appearance of the Aetherius Aurora. Their eyes were hungry, watching Jisoo’s every movement. Slowly Jennie let her right hand slide under the table to rest on her concealed gun. Gun’s weren’t her favorite, but they sure solved problems fast. Should either man make the wrong move, it would be over for them before they knew it.

“It’s _beautiful_.” Bobby breathed at the sight of the large pink diamond.

The Aetherius Aurora in all its beauty sat elegantly on a small black velvet pillow. It gleamed, its brilliant full cut on display. There was a moment of tension, so thick, a knife couldn't cut it. B.I's cool gaze and Bobby's look of awe worried Jennie. There was a brief look of hunger in Bobby's eyes. Jennie had enough experience to know what a look like that meant. Fear slowly began to cloud Jennie's mind. What if they hadn't come alone? What if one of them were planning to take them out for the diamond, here and now?

Jisoo closed the safe with a click. She turned to B.I who was expressionless as ever.

Just like that, the tension vanished. It was like the diamond had put them in a trance, illuminating their true emotions for a moment and then it was gone.

“You have your proof.”

B.I stood up, motioning silently for Bobby to follow. Jennie made a move to follow, she couldn’t let them just walk out so dismissively. Blackpink had worked hard to get this diamond, they deserved respect for it. Not to be brushed aside like some little petty gang. Jisoo stopped her, raising a hand in silence. B.I walked away from the table, only stopping to look back when he reached the door.

“And we have a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Blackpink! And in enters iKon!
> 
> Hey it's Greyscale! It's been a while. (✧∀✧)/ 
> 
> Welcome to chapter 5! From here, I may have to start posting closer to once every two weeks since school is starting to wrap up and that means finals (*tears*). Anywho, this is a Blackpink chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm debating whether or not making a playlist for this story since there are plenty of great songs to go with some of the chapters. 
> 
> See you in chapter 6. ~ヾ(・ω・)


	6. Chapter 6

05:00 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

“Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty.” Baekhyun’s voice whispered in Kai’s ear, instantly waking him.

Kai’s eyes opened slowly, not at all wanting to get out of the warm and comfy bed.

“Jonginnie~. If you don’t get up, Baek is going to have to give you morning kisses.” Baekhyun tugged at the comforter Kai had wrapped tightly around himself. Baekhyun made sure to lean close to Kai’s face so that the younger not only got an earful, but a hot breath bath.

Kai sat up immediately, promptly scooting away from Baekhyun as quickly as humanly possible, the thought of morning kisses making his skin crawl.

“Never, ever do that again.” He glared at Baekhyun as he fumbled for his glasses.

Baekhyun shrugged. “It was the only way to get you out of bed.”

Kai sneered at that. “Oh really? It would just kill you to just gently shake me awake?”

Baekhyun ignored Kai’s grumbling, turning back to the mirror in their room to inspect his appearance.

“Xiumin said we have to get ready to go to the airport to pick up whoever he called.”

Kai pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, as he looked in his suitcase for a decent outfit.

“Still no idea who it is?”

“No idea, but Chen told me he said ‘I love you’ to whoever he called.” 

“Xiumin has a girlfriend?”

“I’m thinking it’s his wife. Maybe she’s calling to ask him when he going to come home to see his kids.”

“I don’t think that rumor is real. I doubt he secretly has a wife and seven kids.”

Baekhyun turned, satisfied with his appearance, and sat on his bed. 

“No one knows anything about Xiumin. Only that he was the first in our team. I wonder what life he had before the agency. The guy's like a ghost.”

“In all honesty, that’s none of our business.” Kai frowned at Baekhyun. “It’s policy at the agency not to interfere in other agent’s personal lives unless contacted by the agency or that agent.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes.

“Oh, alright. There he is, _Mister-I-love-to-kiss-agent-Xiumin's-ass_. I was wondering when you would show up.”

Kai threw his pillow at Baekhyun as he went to the bathroom.

“Shut up.”

\---

Chen added a spoonful of sugar to his coffee before sipping it. Xiumin had been jumpy the entire night, barely sleeping despite Chen's urging him to do so. The elder was currently in the bathroom showering. Typically he always got up before Chen, but today was different.

After their conversation at the cafe, Chen had been burning with curiosity. Who had Xiumin been talking to? Why did he seem so nervous? However, Xiumin's demeanor about the whole situation had warned him to stay away from it.

As it had turned out, Chen’s curiosity got the better of him. While Xiumin had been asleep, he took the burner phone, out of the pocket of Xiumin's civilian clothes. He checked the number on the phone. It was a United States number. This had intrigued Chen. They worked frequently with other people, since the agency was international, but he didn’t recall Xiumin bonding with any of the people they worked with, with the exception of one particular person who was not to be named.

He left the room and sat in the lobby, to make sure his typing wouldn’t rouse Xiumin. Hooking the burner phone up to his laptop, Chen began tracing the number back to its source with a program he had gotten from the agency for their missions. His fingers, slid across the keys with ease, quickly breaking down the security of the burner phone.

He managed to track the number back to Cambridge, Massachusetts. At M.I.T. The news had been intriguing to him. Who did Xiumin know from M.I.T? It just didn’t make any sense, but then again Xiumin didn’t make sense. He was so secretive, nothing about him seemed to make sense. Sometimes Baekhyun would joke that they were working with a ghost, when came to being around Xiumin. Chen felt that Baekhyun was right. No matter how much he followed, tracked, or researched Xiumin, he never found anything out. No school friends, no aunts or uncles, no siblings, no parents. It was like Xiumin had never existed before he came to the agency. Such things got under Chen’s skin. He didn’t like not understanding things. He hated it actually.

Chen finished his coffee as Xiumin stepped out of the bathroom. 

“Ready?” Xiumin murmured as he dried his hair.

“Way ahead of you.” Chen chuckled. “Why did you take so long in there? Is there someone you’re trying to impress?”

“Hmm, something like that.”

This caught Chen by surprise. He turned to look at Xiumin, who had quickly dressed into a long sleeved blue turtleneck and black jean jacket with jeans. His black hair combed back carefully from his face in a comma hairstyle. He looked good. 

Chen turned back to his empty cup. Now he was itching to know. The phone number he had traced had only given him a location: M.I.T. But who could this person be? They had Xiumin nervous, and dressing up. Why? Why? Why?

“Any chance you’re going to tell me who we’re meeting?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Chen huffed. “Can you stop being so diffi---.”

He was cut off by the knocking at their door.

“Come in.” Xiumin called.

The door opened revealing a smiling Baekhyun and a rather harassed looking Kai.

“Xiumin, next time, I room with you.” Kai groaned as he flopped onto Chen’s bed.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes at Kai whining. 

“I like Chen more than you anyway.”

“Enough you two. Let’s head to the airport.” Xiumin spoke as he pulled on his shoes.

“Why don’t you go alone? Why do we have to come?” Kai protested. 

“It’s good manners to greet the person you’ll be working with.”

“Couldn’t we greet them here?” Baekhyun joined Kai’s whining.

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Chen chimed in.

Xiumin turned to look at the other three, his eyes widened slightly, an eyebrow raised as he tipped his head to the side.

Immediately, the others stopped, quickly pulling themselves together.

“That’s what I thought.” Xiumin smiled triumphantly.

\---

“It’s too damn early for this.” Baekhyun’s voice cut through the silence in the rental car.

“You’ve said that for the millionth time now.” Chen chuckled.

Xiumin was silent, keeping his eyes on the road. He hadn’t said anything since they got in the car. Too focused on whatever was in his head.

 _That's dangerous._ Chen thought to himself. Turning his attention away from Xiumin, Chen looked at Baekhyun and Kai. Kai was sleeping, his head resting against Baekhyun’s shoulder, while Baekhyun tapped the screen of his phone irritatedly. 

“What’s bothering you Byun?”

“Do you know the cheat code for this game?”

That made Chen want to laugh. Despite all the training and traumatic situations they had been through, Baekhyun was still his somewhat childish self. Chen took the phone Baekhyun passed up to him and Chen fiddled around with the game, clearing the level in seconds. Chen handed the phone back to Baekhyun who let out a cheer, jostling the sleeping Kai.

The car was silent again for a while.

“We're here.” Xiumin announced as the airport came in their sights. 

Chen glanced at Xiumin. His knuckles were white in the wheel. He seemed a bit jittery. Chen had never seen him like this. He was always the cool, calm, and collected one. Never worrying too much, or panicking. After they stepped out of the car, Xiumin excused himself, to the bathroom.

“He seems nervous.” Kai frowned as he reclined in one of the waiting chairs at a table.

“I've never seen him like this.” Baekhyun sighed as he took a seat next to Kai. He pulled out his phone, opening an app.

Chen joined them, his lips pulled into a thin line. He had brought his laptop with him just to keep busy. But his mind kept wandering to Xiumin and his mysterious favor. 

“Who do you think it is Chen?” Baekhyun shot a glance his silent teammate. 

“I hacked the burner phone Xiumin used. It led me to someone from M.I.T.” 

Kai's eyebrows shot up. "You took and _hacked_ Xiumin's private burner phone?"

Chen gave Kai a cool side eye. "That's besides the point. And you won't tell him I did, _right_?"

Kai gulped.

“So, M.I.T, right? That's a pretty serious school. Who does Xiumin know anyone from there?” 

Chen's brows furrowed. “That's what I don't know, and it’s bothering me.”

They fell into a comfortable silence for thirty minutes. 

There was a sudden, “ping” from Kai.

Kai sat up and pulled out his phone.

“What is it?” Baekhyun peered at Kai.

“Xiumin sent a message. He's gone to pick up the person he called in. He told us to stay here.”

“Nice.” 

Baekhyun and Kai glanced at Chen. Chen's tone was flat. His fingers tapped on the cover of his laptop in impatience. Chen's eyes were narrowed in irritation. He had, had enough of Xiumin's antics.

“Does he not trust us or something? I mean what is his deal? We're going to be working with this person, so why is he trying so hard to hide them from us?!”

Kai shrugged. Baekhyun on the other hand patted Chen on this back. 

“Don't worry so much Chen.”

“I'm not worrying. Aren't we a team? Why don't we know anything about him, but he knows everything about us. Don't you guys think this is unfair?!”

Baekhyun chuckled. 

“Xiumin's always been like this. You need to get used to it.”

“Right.” Chen sighed. 

Baekhyun and Kai exchanged looks of relief. It usually took plenty of work to get Chen to let go of things, this surprisingly hadn't taken much.

“I'll just hack the security cameras and see for myself.”

“Absolutely not.” Baekhyun snatched Chen's laptop out of his reach.

“Give it back Byun.” Chen growled.

Kai hopped in between the two.

“Chen, Baekhyun is right. We should let Xiumin deal with this without our input. Besides, here he comes.”

They all turned.

“This-- is-- is this real? This is really the guy, Xiumin was so nervous about?!” Chen hissed incredulously. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Walking towards them, next to Xiumin was another man, just a bit taller. Baekhyun peered over Kai's shoulder, and raised an eyebrow at the sight. How the hell was he supposed to take the person next to Xiumin seriously? When Chen had mentioned M.I.T, Baekhyun had thought about cool suave people, in polished suits with incredible confidence to go with their equally genius intelligence. The guy was a clear exception. He had _horrible_ fashion sense. He was wearing a very faded grey Star Wars hoodie from which messed brown hair poked out, which framed a rather amicable face (but that wasn't what Baekhyun cared about). He wore an old blue jean jacket over the hoodie which clashed with the faded black sweatpants that screamed broke. Baekhyun then let his eyes drop to the other man’s shoes and tried not to scoff at the dirty scuffed black Converse the other was wearing. This guy was literally no one. What kind of agent dressed like this? To add to the weirdness of it all, Xiumin was holding some of the guy’s bags for him. Since when did _Xiumin_ hold bags for anyone?

“Sorry we took so long, he took the wrong way so I had to find him myself.” Xiumin smiled at the others.

Chen, to his credit, said nothing, instead sizing up the man beside Xiumin. Who was this? He didn’t look like an agent, certainly didn’t act like one. Especially with the blush coating his face. What kind of agent blushed, like _that_? The guy looked like one of those weirdo college kids that had an intense fascination with some obscure space show or something. He probably rarely went out much, by the looks of it. Chen thought to himself. No one who spent any amount of time around real people in the real world dressed like that.

Kai and Baekhyun traded a look. Xiumin coughed sensing the awkward aura. He turned to the man beside him, giving him and encouraging smile.

“Err, let me introduce you all. Junmyeon, these are my friends Chen, Baekhyun, and Kai. Guys, this is my brother Junmyeon.”

“Brother?!”

\---

Chen’s outburst had been the beginning of a rather awkward drive back to hotel. Xiumin had given Chen’s seat in the front to his brother Junmyeon, the person behind the phone number. The person who went to M.I.T. This had made Chen’s blood boil. None of them had ever seen this side of Xiumin. Cheerful, smiling, and incredibly vulnerable. The silence had continued when they went to get breakfast in the hotel dining room after putting Junmyeon’s things in Chen and Xiumin’s room. This effectively led to Chen’s eviction from the room. Not that he had minded at all. Nope.

They were all seated around a large table adorned with fruits, coffee, croissants, and pancakes. It was a rather rich meal. Junmyeon had spent a majority of the time either eating or speaking to Xiumin. Kai and Baekhyun also ate with feverish gusto, neither wanting to pass up a good breakfast. The only ones not eating much were Chen and Xiumin, who were locked in a war of looks and expressions when the others weren’t paying attention.

“So, Junmyeon,” Chen broke the silence like bull crashing through a china shop. “What do you study at M.I.T?”

Kai tapped his thigh in warning under the table, but Chen ignored the younger, earning a frown from him.

"How do you know I go to M.I.T?" Junmyeon blinked.

Chen arched an eyebrow in surprise. Either Junmyeon knew something was off, or he was just curious.

"Your brother told me."

Jumyeon turned to Xiumin in surprise. "You talk about me to your friends? Don't you think that's a bit unfair? I hardly have anything to tell my friends about my own brother."

At that the entire table laughed. Chen, Baekhyun, and Kai laughed because they knew of Xiumin's secretive nature. Xiumin laughed because he felt awkward being put in the hot seat by his own brother.

“I’m majoring in computer engineering, programming, apps, the sort.” Junmyeon smiled as he set down his cup of coffee.

If Xiumin hadn’t said they were brothers, Chen could have never guessed that they were related. Where Xiumin was reserved, Junmyeon was open. Xiumin was sharp and clean cut, Junmyeon was soft and messy. Xiumin was experienced, Junmyeon was naive. Also the difference in their physical features. There was some likeness in the way they smiled though, it was terribly disarming, making anyone want to trust them.

“You know, you never told me, you had friends at grad school.” Junmyeon shot Xiumin a playful glare.

“Grad school, huh.” Chen shot Xiumin a questioning look over the rim of his coffee cup.

Xiumin’s eyes narrowed. A warning.

 _Play along_.

“Well, that’s interesting. We’re in the same major.”

Xiumin’s eyes widened in shock as Chen grinned cunningly.

 _You wanted me to play along right? Well now we’re playing, but my way_.

“Really?” Junmyeon perked up at that. “That’s so cool. We can compare programs.”

“Just name the day. I’d be happy to help you out.” 

“You have cool friends.” Junmyeon punched Xiumin playfully. "Why didn't you introduce me to them sooner?"

Xiumin coughed awkwardly.

 _It's because they are all highly skilled secret agents_.

"You seem pretty busy with school, so I figured you'd be better off without me bothering you." Xiumin smiled uneasily. 

“Why don’t you tell Junmyeon your major, Baekhyun.” Chen smirked as he watched Xiumin shift uncomfortably.

Despite the initial shock of Junmyeon being Xiumin’s brother, Chen was finding himself rather excited. Right in front of him was a person who had known Xiumin from before the agency. Junmyeon knew Xiumin’s weakness. What he was like outside of work. What he was like when he was vulnerable. The thought of being able to uncover _all_ of Xiumin’s secrets excited Chen.

“I major in graphic design.” Baekhyun smiled, easily slipping into character.

“I’m arts and theater.” Kai joined in. 

“I’m glad you have friends.” Junmyeon beamed. “I was worried you were lonely. You never call home, so mom, dad, and I hardly know what’s going on with you.”

Xiumin winced internally at Junmyeon’s concern. He had just let the others know he had a mother and father, very much alive. He preferred to keep family and business separate, but his chatterbox brother was going to make that hard. Xiumin knew Chen was reading him too easily, so he quickly excused himself to a nearby bathroom to calm himself down. 

Chen watched Xiumin as he left, before turning his attention to Junmyeon. 

“So Junmyeon, what brings you to Paris?”

“My brother invited me here for a vacation. I guess my brother finally realized he missed me.” Junmyeon laughed.

Chen, Baekhyun, and Kai traded looks of brief confusion and then understanding.

 _Vacation_?

Chen tried not to laugh aloud. Xiumin had lied to his own brother, telling him he wanted to spend a vacation together. Poor Junmyeon had no idea what he was really here for. Xiumin must have brought him to help with understanding how Blackpink had gotten past the tough firewalls and security measures that the BNP Paribas SA bank had in place before the Aetherius Aurora was stolen.

Another awkward silence settled on the group like a blanket. Junmyeon silently sipped his coffee, while Kai tapped his foot absentmindedly. Baekhyun stirred his tea, his gaze occasionally drifting to Chen who kept looking at were Xiumin had vanished to. 

“So, how old are you?” Kai’s voice cut through the silence. All eyes looked towards him in surprise. Kai’s gaze was directed towards Junmyeon .

Junmyeon found himself squirming under the gaze of the other. There was _something_ about his brother’s friends. It was something that Junmyeon couldn’t put his finger on, but something inside him was telling him to run away as fast as he could. Kai, for instance, carried himself in a way that had Junmyeon wanting to tiptoe around him. He had an aura of a panther. Kai was cat like, in the way he silently observed. He appeared lazy and tired but, his graceful movements, and his knowing gaze said otherwise. There was also the creeping feeling that Kai could pounce on him and tear him to pieces. Junmyeon let his eyes wander away from Kai.

“Wow, what kind of question is that?” Baekhyun snorted.

Trust Kai to always be the blunt one. 

“Well, he’s younger than Xiumin, but I’m just curious, is he older than us?” Kai replied, his eyes still trained on Junmyeon.

“I’m twenty-seven.” 

“Oh.” Kai frowned. “You look younger than me.”

“Well, I guess youthfulness runs in the family.” Baekhyun winked at Junmyeon, who blushed in embarrassment.

“I get mistaken for a younger age sometimes.” Junmyeon murmured into his cup of coffee.

“You’re older than all of us.” Chen chuckled.

Junmyeon looked at each of them in surprise. 

“Really?”

“Pretty much, but that doesn’t mean I’ll treat you like an elder.” Baekhyun smirked mischievously. 

Junmyeon didn’t bother getting offended. He had a feeling that Baekhyun was the playful one of the group, especially with the winks and smiles he kept sending his way. He was smart enough to know it all meant nothing, just a way of greeting people. Chen on the other hand, was a mystery to Junmyeon. He could feel Chen’s eyes on him since they met. It was like Chen was reading him constantly. Sizing him up for something he had yet to figure out. Chen had a cunning and observant aura about him. The cat like smile Chen had playing on his lips made it seem like he knew something Junmyeon didn’t. And maybe, maybe he did.

Junmyeon’s inner observation of his brother’s friends was interrupted by his own brother’s reappearance.

“You must be tired Junmyeon, why don’t you go get some rest?” Xiumin says as he settles back into his seat beside him.

“You're right, I should.” 

Chen tips his head slightly, observing the behavior between the two. Xiumin’s sweet suggestion offered Junmyeon a chance out of the awkward silence between them all, and Junmyeon snatched it.

They all bid Junmyeon goodbye as he went to get some rest to deal with the jetlag.

“Finally.” Kai breathed, earning him a glare from Xiumin.

“What do you mean finally?” Xiumin frowned.

“I’m with Kai. Finally, you can tell us exactly what is going on here.” Baekhyun chimed in.

“Why is your brother here and why does he think this is a vacation?” Kai added.

“My guess is, Xiumin wants him here to help us figure out what Blackpink used to get past the security at the bank. They probably used new tech or a new program. The only one here who probably knows exactly how to find out, is Junmyeon. Xiumin let him think this was a vacation because he didn’t want to blow our cover. Well, _his_ cover to be exact.” Chen coolly filled in as he traded glares with Xiumin.

“Why not you?” Kai turned to Chen.

“My specialties can only be stretched so far.” Chen replied. “I’m good at breaking into software, hacking really, but that’s about it. Junmyeon has a whole other set of skills. He's one of M.I.T's best and brightest. He can probably make, or replicate, inhibit, amplify, and reprogram just about any piece of tech. Right?”

Chen let his eyes meet Xiumin’s again. Xiumin didn’t react, a cool mask covering his face.

“Chen is right.” Xiumin replied stonily.

He really hated Chen’s guts.

"I'm always right." Chen looked smug.

“Your brother can do that?” Baekhyun’s jaw had unhinged in awe. “Mr. Horrible Fashion Sense can do that?”

“My brother’s fashion sense is the least of our problems, thank you.” Xiumin rubbed his eyes. “Getting him to do what we want, without making him aware of what we are actually doing is going to be the problem.”

“Anyway,” Xiumin sighed pushing his chair back as he stood up. “Let’s get going. I want to get a good look at the BNP Paribas SA bank and the vaults under it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Greyscale here! ~ヾ(・ω・) 
> 
> I'm sorry for not updating in so long. Finals are truly stressing me out (*crying at the sight of grey hairs on head*). I hope you're all doing well!
> 
> Thank you are reading chapter 6!! I had some free time, so I was able to edit and post this for you all. How do you like the story so far? I've been trying to lengthen the chapters, but I'm worried about packing too much in one place. I worry your eyes might get tired from reading for too long. 
> 
> Xiumin's team has a bit of a way to go before they can get to Korea, (probably a chapter or two, idk) then we can start seeing all the fun and games!
> 
> I'm thinking of cross-posting this on asianfanfics also, under the same name so people don't get confused. Do you think I should? Idk myself. As for the playlist I mentioned earlier, I'm still debating. Maybe I should? Maybe I shouldn't??
> 
> See you later alligators! (¬‿¬ )ノ


	7. Chapter 7

13:30 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

Kai glared down at the fake business card for the fifth time that afternoon in pure irritation. He stood in a polished black suit with a white shirt and black tie. If anyone had taken a glance at him they would have seen a rather handsome businessman, waiting for his turn at the bank. If they had looked a bit harder, they would also see the slight look of annoyance on his face too.

“Bernard? Who-- what even-- What kind of name is this?!” 

“It’s character you’re playing. I worked hard to make that, so don’t blow your cover. Sit still and look pretty, please.” Chen chuckled though the comm unit in Kai’s ear.

Kai looked out of the corner of his glasses at Chen who was masquerading as tech support for a new virus that had just hit the BNP Paribas SA bank’s computers, courtesy of Chen himself. Chen waved at Kai as he followed a panicking banker to the software department in the bank.

“Why the hell am I Bernard? Why not Baekhyun?”

“Bernard fits you. Bernard is a boring, plain, rule following name.” Baekhyun teased.

Kai’s eardrums were assaulted by the laughter of his teammates. He rolled his eyes as he surveyed the bank lobby.

“Is there someone we are meeting or what?”

“We’re here to get into the vault, not chit chat.” Xiumin reminded his team of the mission. “Besides this is good practice for our infiltration skills.”

“Why couldn’t we just notify the bank that we were here to help them get the diamond back to them?” 

“We need to see how Blackpink stole the diamond without getting caught. If we notified the bank that we were here to help them, they would expect us. We need to be as close as possible to the same conditions BP worked in, which means we can’t announce our presence.” Xiumin explained. 

“Tell Baekhyun to stop chatting then.” Kai hissed through his teeth as he flashed a charming smile to the bank teller that glanced at him in confusion at the conversation Kai appeared to be having with no one around him.

Baekhyun was across the lobby flirting with a security guard, but he looked nothing like himself. The person clinging to the security guard’s arm was a young woman, dressed to the nines. A long flowing wig of shining black hair cascaded down his back, off setting the dark red of his lipstick and silk blouse. He also wore a pencil skirt hat hugged and emphasized his hips. The black choker, Louboutins, and glossy Hermes handbag were also a nice touch, finishing off the image of a rich young heiress. 

Baekhyun laughed at the security guard’s lame joke, throwing himself on the older man in laughter as he slipped his hand into the man’s back pocket. After retrieving the blue key card, Baekhyun winked at the security guard and excused himself from their conversation, promising to talk later. 

“I have the key card, let’s get going.” Baekhyun chirped as he pulled out a pair of sunglasses and perched them on his face before he turned to face the camera in the lobby near the office were Kai had entered.

“Why hello there, my _lovely_ fiance.” Baekhyun chirped as he threw himself into the arms of a very displeased Kai.

“I think I threw up in my mouth a little.” Kai grit as he linked his arm with Baekhyun, creating the illusion of a happy young couple. 

“Oh, come on.” Baekhyun snickered. “You love playing with me.”

Kai briefly contemplated yanking Baekhyun's wig off as a joke to unsettle the elder, but decided against it when he thought about the possible hell he would unleash on himself. 

Xiumin appeared beside them dressed as a bank employee.

“Why do you have those damn glasses again?” Xiumin muttered as he looked Baekhyun over with a frown.

“These are the gold Linda Farrow 479 C1 Square Sunglasses.” Baekhyun pouted. “I love them. They’re my babies.”

“It’s not agency issued.” Xiumin argued.

“Not everything I wear has to be equipped with something. I just love these glasses, just the way they are.”

Kai ignored the bickering between Baekhyun and Xiumin, instead focusing his attention to the map of the lower level of the bank that popped up on his phone, from Chen.

“So, any idea where the vaults are?”

“Take the ‘Employees Only Door’ and get to the elevator down the hall. Use the key card to pick the last floor. I’ve cut off the cameras for an hour, no one will notice you guys entering.” Chen instructed through the comm unit.

“Where are you?” 

“Software. In the basement. I’ll meet you at the vaults. I’m just looking for any holes in the bank’s firewall that Blackpink may have exploited right now. They may have left a program or two in the system. I’m trying to copy them down onto a drive to bring back to Junmyeon, so we can see if he can get anything from it.” 

“Good idea Chen.” Xiumin calmly took the key card from Baekhyun, tapping it against a scanner on the elevator that gave them clearance to into the lower levels.

“Any idea how we’re gonna get Junmyeon hyung to look at this without suspecting anything?” Kai frowned at Xiumin.

“Chen will present the programs he can find as … Chen?” 

“A school project or contest of some sort. Something unassuming for Junmyeon.” Chen filled in.

“Looks like we’re here.” Xiumin announced as they stood before a large metal door labelled ‘Restricted Access Only’.

“Chen can you open the door for us?” I don’t think the key card will work.”

There was a sudden click, as the key card scanner turned green.

“Open sesame.” Chen chuckled smugly in their comm units.

Xiumin turned the knob on the door, nodding at Kai and Baekhyun, as the three of them entered the vaults. They were greeted with a blast of cold air. Cameras lined the ceiling of hallway, their usual red lights dim, courtesy of Chen’s hacking. The vaults were in a very long, dimly lit hallway. Large metal doors gleamed under the lights in the cold air. There were steel spiral staircases that led down to more vaults beneath their feet. Baekhyun shivered, quickly accepting Kai’s suit coat to battle off the cold.

“So which vault are we looking at?” Baekhyun glanced around, his heels clicking and clacking loudly in the hollow hallway.

“Vault H1-LL-25-21.” Xiumin replied. “Did you not read the briefing I gave everyone on the plane?”

Baekhyun’s only reply was a nervous chuckle and a shrug.

“Let’s split up. I’ll go to the floor below, Kai on this one, and Baekhyun on the floor below me.” Xiumin instructed. “Chen?”

“Yes, Chen?” 

“Have you found anything?”

“Well, I can tell you that Blackpink certainly knows how to cover their tracks. I’ve been scanning the security footage, from a week ago, and it's all blank except for that video of that girl at the vault. I’m thinking they deleted all other footage except this. Probably to taunt the authorities.”

“So nothing?” Xiumin sighed in frustration. 

With nothing, that would mean that there would be nothing to go off of. No way of predicting Blackpink’s movements or their plans. It would mean going in blind. There was nothing more dangerous than going in blind. Xiumin had seen it get even the best agents killed, or worse.

“Not completely.” Chen replied. His fingers flew over the keys of his laptop as he sat in the middle of the software room.

“Whoever hacked security has some serious pride. I think this is so cool! Err, I mean I would have found this cool, if they weren’t criminals.”

“What is it?” 

“The hacker left a signature. Every backdoor the opened in the system has a highlighted code in the shape of a rose. Every single one.”

“That would be Rosé.” Kai’s voice crackled through the comm units. “In the file she has the best computer skills. Hacking, funneling money, messing with crypto-currency, it’s all her doing.”

“So the girl likes to brag, how does that help us?” Baekhyun took off his heels as he made his way down the steel staircase to the floor below Xiumin.

“Well, I’m trying to find a match to this code, maybe we can get a read on where they are holding money in Korea, any investments or transactions that they’ve made recently.” Chen hummed.

“Anyone found the vault yet?” Xiumin asked. He has made it down the long hallway, not once seeing a door with the label H1-LL-25-21.

“Hey, there’s a vault here that says H1-MX-01-94.” Baekhyun called.

“The vault we are looking for is H1-LL-25-21. Please pay attention to the briefings.” Kai scolded.

Xiumin’s eyes widened. 

“Baekhyun, leave that vault alone.”

“Okay sheesh. Cool down. You’re acting like there’s something in there we shouldn’t be seeing.” Baekhyun muttered.

“Oh! Here I found it.” Baekhyun blurted. 

“What level are you on?” Xiumin began heading down the stairs with Kai behind him.

“Level 4. Chen can you head down here? I think we will need you to open this manually.” Baekhyun said as he leaned against the door of the vault.

“On my way.” Chen answered. He quickly unplugged his laptop from the system, smiling amiably at the panicked banker who had brought him to fix the so-called problem.

“You’re all set, systems should be up and running in an hour.” Chen assured the man in French, who thanked him tearfully with a hug. 

Nonchalantly, Chen slipped his hand into the man’s suit jacket pocket and took his key card. Smirking to himself, as he left, Chen made his way to the vaults, whistling a tune he had heard on the radio earlier that day.

“Well, you sure took your time.” Baekhyun grumbled while shivering at the sight of a smiley Chen.

“Well I’m here, aren’t I?” Chen snorted.

Chen had gotten rid of his tech outfit, and was dressed formally. He wore a grey vest with a stark white button down, shirt rolled up at the sleeves, and form fitting grey slacks. His brown hair was combed back from his face in a side part, and a pair of wire rimmed glasses were perched on his nose. Chen had also brought with him a black duffle bag. What stood out on his outfit was a black utility belt that hung low on his hips. 

“What’s in the duffle?” Kai peered over Xiumin’s shoulder at Chen.

“Gloves, shoe covers, and everyone’s gear belts. And some of my favorite tools. Don’t touch them. Oh and you’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” Xiumin nodded as he took the bag from Chen.

As the others got prepared, Chen looked as the vault door. He let out a low whistle.

“How Blackpink got through this is utterly beyond me.”

The large vault door was made of pitch black metal. It was was a large 24-bolt Diebold. Chen ran a gloved hand over the door as he examined the outside.

“Blackpink didn’t use a drill. So no special tools.”

Reaching up to tap the temple on the right side of his glasses, Chen turned on his scanner. Immediately, L appeared in the corner of his eye.

“Hello agent Chen, how may I be of service?”

“L conduct an x-ray of the vault door. I need to know when and what it’s made of and who made it. Look for any tech discrepancies or breaks also.”

L bowed her head after receiving his command.

“Conducting scan now.”

Chen chewed his lip at the scans. 

L reappeared.

“This is a 24-bolt Diebold, the maker was York Safe and Lock Company, PA, USA in 2014. The walls around it are reinforced with a special reinforced concrete mix. In addition to the usual cement powder or stone. In addition I have detected materials such as metal shavings or abrasive materials have been added to resist drilling penetration of the wall around the vault door. There is a day gate behind this door. It is steel and requires a keycard as well as a code. I can run some possible combinations for the day gate, but the first door must be opened manually. There is a code breach at the day gate. Breach of the first door is still unknown.”

“Do you know any way Blackpink may have opened this?” 

“Conducting entry possibility scan now.”

“How’s it looking?” Kai walked over to Chen, as he tugged on his gloves.

“Not good. L doesn’t know what Blackpink used to get through this door. There’s a breach at the day gate, but nothing here.”

“How could they breach the second door without breaching the first?” 

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

“Scanning complete.” L reported as she appeared in Chen’s vision again.

“What is it L?” Chen reached for the duffle bag from Xiumin who held it out to him.

“There appears to be a fail-safe, just under the knob of the outer door. Instead of turning the lock, pull it up.” L instructed. “There will be some sort of device underneath, I believe it was left by Blackpink in order to open and close the vault.”

“Thank you L.”

“My pleasure agent Chen.”

Chen turned to Kai.

“Help me get this open.”

Together they grabbed the lever and pulled it up instead of turning it. It opened with a hiss, revealing a black and pink Rubix cube. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Baekhyun had joined Kai and Chen at the door. “Blackpink left a Rubix cube, as a security measure?”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Kai pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

It look completely harmless. Typically the security they encountered included lasers, tough firewalls, guns, assassins, and more. A Rubix cube was something else entirely. It made Kai wonder just how well trained Blackpink was for this heist. The thought made him excited. He had joined the agency last out of all the members of his team, and he was the youngest, which left him with less interesting mission stories than his colleagues. This time, he figured, this mission would be the one to remember. 

“Step aside losers.” Baekhyun wiggled past Kai and Xiumin, nudging Chen away with his hip. “I can solve this.”

“Oh really now?” Kai pointedly looked down his nose at Baekhyun. 

Trust Byun Baekhyun, or as everyone at the agency called him, Bulldozer Byun, to dive in head first, without any second thought.

“Hey! I’m your hyung, have some respect! Besides, I love games and the Rubix cube is one of my favorites. By the looks of it, I think that we have to arrange the letters to form Blackpink on all the sides. Easy.”

“You don’t know that.” Kai argued. “What if you do it wrong and it blows us to bits? Hm?”

Chen and Xiumin exchanged an uneasy gaze.

“L says it’s safe.” Chen said after consulting their A.I. 

“How long will it take you?” Xiumin glanced at Baekhyun, then at his watch nervously. 

“Five to ten minutes give or take.” Baekhyun tucked the hair of his wig behind his ear and cracked his knuckles. “I’m a little rusty, but I can do it.”

“Chen how long do we have left before the security system gets up again?”

“Forty minutes tops.” Chen replied.

Xiumin nodded. “That means around thirty minutes to collect info, then we need to get out of here.”

“Wow, Rosé sure it impressive.” Chen muttered. “She’s got some serious game. I might even be a little envious. How did she get a Rubix cube to be a security code?”

“This is Blackpink. Of course they're good.” Xiumin tipped his head as he studied the files of the criminal members on his phone. 

“They are all skilled at what they do. They’re also a tight team. Normally teams this successful end up backstabbing each other. They get jumpy, start making mistakes, get suspicious of one another. Not Blackpink. They are going to be a real chore to breakdown when we get to Seoul.”

“And, voila!” Baekhyun cheered as he held up the completed cube in his palm.

Suddenly there was a loud groan. The gears on the outside of the vault door began moving as air hissed past the small crack, that gradually became wider to reveal the day gate within.

“Great job.” Xiumin clapped.

Chen quickly stepped into the vault, the others following. He retrieved a small black box from the duffle bag, he placed it over the keypad of the day gate, and tapped the keycard he had borrowed from the man before, onto it.

On the screen of the small black box, numbers flashed quickly as the box looked for the right password, before blinking green.

“And… we’re in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! ヾ(☆▽☆) 
> 
> The 7th chapter is up. Finally! I've been really busy lately, but now that I have some free time on my hands, I'm going to try to update as much as possible!
> 
> See ya! (o^ ^o)/


	8. Chapter 8

23:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

He had an itch.

Not a real itch, though. It was more of a figurative one. He let his eyes slide slowly between the dead man in front of him, and then to the ominous black briefcase, that lay innocently by the dead man's feet. It was not the first corpse he had ever seen, and it probably wouldn't be the last. In any given case, he wouldn't really have cared about a dead man and a briefcase, but this had meaning. A meaning he had yet to understand. An itch, yet to be scratched.

"How did this man die?"

D.O turned his attention from the picture in front of him, to Sehun who sat, cross-crossed on the edge of the dead man's desk eating take-out. D.O had no idea how someone could eat with a fresh corpse just below their feet, but Sehun was an odd ball that way. He was terrified of many things, but a dead body? Nope, not at all.

"Beats me." Sehun replied between bites. "I thought Lay said it was some type of poison."

"Belladonna." Lay chirped as he held up a small glass bottle with a gloved hand. "Someone decided to go old school."

"Right." Sehun nodded. "My guess is a jealous wife. Maybe he had some sort of affair? It's entirely possible, you know?"

"Hmm. That's possible." D.O rubbed his thumb along his lower lip in contemplation. "What do you think, Lay?"

Sehun scowled at that. 

"Isn't my counsel enough?"

Lay snorted. "It would be, if your suggested motive, wasn't from the plot of some crime show."

Lay was laying (pun not intended) on the ground, right beside the body. He turned his head to look the corpse in the face.

"This guy was injected with the belladonna. He didn't drink it. There's a prick mark in his neck, right into his bloodstream, straight to the heart. Cruel, but effective and efficient. I would have done the same thing. I have no motive for you, though." 

"I never said I was a specialist in this." Sehun gestured at the crime scene with his chopsticks. "I'm just throwing ideas out. Why is this dead guy such a big deal anyway? We've had more serious assignments than this, right?"

Sehun's eyes are boring into the side of his head, but he didn't give in to the younger. Lay glances at him as well, his gaze equally questioning.

"He was supposed to give us information, for this assignment. Why don't you just profile him?" D.O tossed a couple pictures of the deceased (taken when he was very much alive) onto Sehun's lap as he got up. He was tired of sitting, and his shoulder are getting stiff. He stretched, relishing the feeling of relaxing muscles and popping bones. 

Sehun sets down his take-out, wiping his greasy fingers on a napkin, before picking up one of the photos.

"Well, this guy is filthy rich."

"We know that." Lay muttered.

"Let me finish." Sehun snapped. He glanced down at the corpse, then at the pictures in his hand. Sehun reached into his pocket for a pair of black gloves, before crouching down by the body on the floor. Sehun shooed Lay away from the body as his eyes narrowed. He looked the corpse over, his hands trailing down the front of the suit on the body.

"The suit is new. It's a men's windowpane wool-silk two-piece suit, from Brioni, nonetheless. Around seven thousand United States dollars. Just released this season."

"How do you even know this?" Lay's eyed widened in surprise.

"My mother ordered one for my brother, it came in recently. She absolutely wouldn't stop raving about how good he looked in it."

"Skip the suit. I want to know about _him_." D.O frowned.

Sehun blew out a sigh. "Patience, please. This guy is married, but no ring."

He held up the body's hand, pointing at the obvious skin discoloration around the fourth finger.

"Divorce?" 

"No. I was thinking an affair." Sehun replied.

"You've been watching too many dramas." Lay shook his head,

"No, I'm being serious." Sehun yanked on the shirt collar, revealing a litter of bruises on the greyish skin. "Look at all these hickies. They look recent. Plus there is lipstick around the marks, which means, the hickies are definitely recent. I'd say he got these, a couple hours before death. His wedding ring is also in the inner pocket. What kind of guy hides his wedding ring, if all he's doing is having an intimate moment with his wife? This is evidence of an affair."

Lay shook his head. "We would have to get an autopsy report to confirm the time of death, Sehun. And you are no CSI. Like I said, you watch too many crime dramas. I think we should call the agency, let them know what happened, and move on."

Sehun huffed in indignation. "Let me live my crime scene fantasy, okay. Gosh."

He then chose to ignore Lay, instead picking the ring out, and holding it up to the light. "Figures the one lead we get, is a dead cheating bastard. Not to mention, he was supposed to give us some much needed info."

"Anything special about the ring?" D.O took it from Sehun, passing it to Lay who dropped it into a Ziplock bag.

"It's a Bvlgari B.zero1 ring. It's cute. If I spent _that much_ money on a ring, just to get cheated on, you can be sure the other person would die." Sehun snorted. 

His laughter was cut short by a scalding look from D.O. "Focus Sehun, or I'm sending you back to your dad's."

Sehun shrugged as he returned to his take-out. "What? I would love to say more, but he has no wallet or ID on him. Maybe it's somewhere in the room. And we both know, I'm not going back there."

"D.O, do you think think this could have been a set-up?" Lay asked. "With everything Sehun mentioned. I think this is a set-up crime scene."

D.O nodded. "You could have a point. Maybe this is _meant_ to look like a jealous murder. Make it look like he had an affair, poison him, then blame it on the wife."

Sehun tapped his chopsticks on his chin in thought. "That makes this a professional hit. But by who?"

Lay wandered around the room. His eyes moving quickly from each object. He stopped by the bedside table, where a lone glass of water sat, and right beside it was a wallet. He quickly opened the wallet, leafed through the cards, and found what he had been looking for.

"Looks like our dead fellow here, is Park Haeil."

Sehun shot up at that. "Park Haeil?! My father's mentioned that name before."

D.O frowned. "Since when do you pay attention to your father?"

"I don't." Sehun replied as he typed quickly on his phone. "The name sounds familiar though."

D.O waited as Sehun searched up their corpse.

"Right! Park Haeil. He's the son of a wealthy tech mogul, named ... here's this: Park Haeil."

"So, he has the same name as his dad. Whatever. But he is a wealthy person right?" Lay tapped his fingers on the bedside table. "Maybe the info he was supposed to give us had something to do with his father?"

"You mean, maybe Park's company was doing something illegal, and his son wanted to stop it?" Sehun looked excited. "Insider trading? Illegal tech? Fraud? Maybe he found out about something monumental, and his dad, or some high ranking person decided he had to go?"

"Could be." Lay hummed. "But there's something else here."

He held an ornate black business card, with large pink block lettering.

"I think our murderess left a calling card."

"Murderess? How can you be sure a woman committed this crime?" D.O took the card from Lay's hand.

Written on the front, was a simple name. 

Blackpink.

D.O flipped the card over. Written in swirling cursive was a simple sentence: _We the only gang to run the game in high heels_.

"What a terrible lack of grammar." Lay mused.

"This is the gang that pulled off that heist in Paris." Sehun murmured. "What do they have to do with this?"

D.O silently mulled over the new information in his head. 

"We'll find out later."

D.O tucked the card into the inside pocket of his suit coat. Nodding towards the door, Sehun and Lay began heading out of the room.

D.O calmly picked up the hotel phone and called the police.

"Hello, this is Seoul City Police Department, what is your emergency?"

"There's a dead body in room number seven, on the fourth floor of The Shilla hotel."

Before the operator on the phone could answer, D.O set the phone down with a loud click.

"Authorities will be here in five minutes." Sehun spoke as D.O exited the room.

"Then let's make ourselves scarce."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive everyone! (^０^)ノ 
> 
> Hello, it's Greyscale!
> 
> I'm so sorry for the late update, everyone. School has been rough, so I haven'y been able to write much. Thank you for sticking with this story so far, I really appreciate it.
> 
> Here we have the introduction of the other team. Some of you may be wondering why they are not working with the other team in Paris. Don't worry! All will be revealed soon. I threw an Exo reference in there, did you catch it? Let me know if you did. 
> 
> Pointing to the death in this chapter, the character is an OC, so I did not mean to refer to any actual person. I also mention the poison Belladonna! Belladonna is an extreme toxin that with even the smallest dose can kill. I chose this poison because it's name come from the meaning beautiful woman. Blackpink are beautiful ladies, so I want to compliment them (lol, does that even make sense??). Any ideas who in Blackpink killed Park Haeil? 
> 
> See you next chapter! (￣▽￣)/


	9. Chapter 9

00:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

After he had left Lay and Sehun to check in the information at sub-level three, D.O had headed straight to K's office after being told by a fellow agent that he had been summoned by none other than K. Blackpink's calling card was practically burning a hole in his pocket and he needed answers. He would have much rather not have been summoned. He had a mission to complete, but a summons, was a summons and he could not refuse this one. D.O stopped before the polished metal door in front of him, quickly striking the surface three times. 

K was the head of the agency, and practically a legend among the agents. No one had actually seen K's actual face, nor had they ever physically encountered him. D.O was one of the few capable of even speaking to K, but even he had never seen the man before.

"Come in."

D.O pushed the door open and was greeted by an open laptop set on a large oak wood desk. Beside the desk was an empty oak chair. On the screen of the laptop was a man, seated in shadows that hid his face.

"Ah, agent D.O. I wasn't expecting you." Came the distorted voice.

D.O almost snorted. He straightened his suit coat before taking a seat in front of the laptop.

"Lying like that is rather unbecoming of you, sir."

K's laughter was almost chilling due to the voice distortion of the video.

"True. I was expecting you because I wished to speak with you. I have a new mission for you and your team."

"Sir, we are still in the middle of a mission, we can't possibly--."

D.O's rejection had been halted by K's gloved hand. He pursed his lips in great displeasure. The idea of doubling up on missions was ridiculous to him. The missions would not be completed properly. Focus would be divided and that meant someone would die.

"I understand you have a mission. As of now, you and your team are no longer working on that assignment. I want you on a new one. This one is of greater importance to the agency right now."

"I'm listening sir."

"Good." K nodded. "There is a file under the laptop. It has information on your new mission, as well as your new teammates."

D.O stopped cold at K's words.

_New teammates?_

"Sir, I have worked with agent Lay for long time, and agent Sehun is fairly new to our team. Leaving them now would be incredibly unfair to them."

K chuckled. "Your new teammates _in addition_ to agents Lay and Sehun. Your objective is to retrieve a diamond. The Aetherius Aurora. It was stolen by Blackpink."

D.O calmly opened the file. "Blackpink killed our lead, Park Haeil. And they are also wanted for this diamond? What are they planning?"

K tapped his fingers on the desk. "Figure it out for me. The other team you are working with is lead by agent Xiumin. They are currently in Paris gathering evidence on Blackpink."

D.O nodded. He knew agent Xiumin. The other man had been at the agency before him, and they had both cleared the recruitment exams together. He respected him.

"I want to ask you for another favor."

"Yes sir?"

K leaned forward in the screen, just enough so that his face remained hidden. 

"There is an agent within the file named Kai. He hasn't been _tested_."

D.O stopped and stared hard at the information sheet in front of him. 

"Sir how is that possible? He shouldn't be able to work for the agency without being tested."

"I made an exception after Xiumin pleaded his case. He needs to be tested, just like other agents though. Watch him carefully and report back to me over the course of this mission. Don't tell anyone else. I need to know he can be a trusted agent, if he is willing to risk everything for our agency. If not, he must leave."

D.O swallowed as he read over Kai's sheet. The other as young, just a few months older than Sehun. His eyes stared into D.O's through the picture, eager and willing. It reminded D.O of someone he didn't want to think of.

"I haven't tested someone in a while sir. Why me? Xiumin is his leader, why don't you have him test Kai?"

"I'm afraid Kai has grown on Xiumin. Xiumin's assessment of the boy won't be unbiased. You have always given the best evaluations future agents. You are one of the best."

For a moment D.O wanted to ask K if it was all a joke. If K was really testing _him_ instead of Kai.

"I'll do my best, sir."

"That is all I expect of you, agent D.O." K smiled. "Your team is now, one with Xiumin. You now are team Exo. All your missions and information will be filed under that name."

"Does agent Xiumin know this?"

"You will inform him upon his arrival at the Seoul headquarters." K replied. "Good luck."

"Thank you sir."

With that, the laptop turned off, leaving D.O alone with a new mission and task.

He skimmed agent Xiumin's sheet, as well as agent Chen's and then stopped. Staring back at him, with mischievous eyes, was none other than agent Baekhyun. D.O blinked slowly, reading the profile over. He set the profile down, letting his eyes land on one of the many highlighted dates on the page.

_Agency Testing and Evaluation Completed by agent D.O: 19 December 20XX_

Drawing in a shallow breath, D.O set Baekhyun's profile aside, and turned back to Kai's. D.O sighed before sliding the profiles back into the file. He left the room with the file tucked under his arm and a strong desire to head to the sparring quarters of the headquarters. He desperately needed to clear his head before he told the other two their new mission and objective.

\---

Sehun prided himself on his impeccable skills as an agent, but no amount of training could help him get past his sleeping twin brother and into bed. He had silently scaled the side of the Oh family's three story mansion, before unlocking the window of the room he shared with his twin brother Hun. Only to get caught.

"You're late."

Sehun hissed as Hun turned the light on in the dark room. He raised a hand to cover his eyes, glaring at his twin brother in irritation.

 _Might as well have gone through the damn front door._ Sehun thought to himself.

"What are you doing up?" Sehun scowled.

He turned away from his brother, closing the window and then drawing the curtains closed. He moved to his side of the large room, tossing his black bomber jacket onto the unmade bed.

"I was waiting for you. You're later than usual tonight. How long is it going to be before you stop sneaking out and coming back so late?" 

Sehun rolled his eyes. "Give it up already."

Hun glared at him as he pushed up his glasses. "You need to grow up, Sehun. Mom and dad are getting tired of your behavior."

"Or what?" Sehun sneered. "They're going to send me back to Europe? We all know how fucking well that went."

"Don't swear." Hun muttered. 

Sehun unlaced his boots, kicking them under the bed before reaching for the towel he had hanging off the edge of the bed. He didn't want this talk with Hun. He was exhausted. All he wanted was a nice hot shower and to sleep.

"Are you trying to parent me too?" Sehun scoffed. "You're becoming more like mom and dad everyday. Always on my case. Sehun this. Sehun that."

"I'm not trying to parent you." Hun sighed as he tugged on the sleeve of his pajamas. "I just want you to get better."

"Get _better_?" Sehun whirled on his brother in surprise. "What makes you think I'm not fine?!"

Hun shrank back, silently looking at Sehun. "Did you party tonight?"

_Yes, of course I did. Totally had a blast at the party. I mean there was a dead guy and everything, but y'know. It was great!_

"I don't party anymore, you know that." Sehun glared at his younger brother. "I haven't partied in years."

"Two years." Hun chided. "You didn't go to class today."

"I can always catch up later."

"That's what you said in high school."

"You talking like I didn't graduate."

"You barely did!" Hun snapped.

Sehun flinched at Hun's yell. 

"Why do you keep doing this? Is this all you want out of life? Just roaming the streets at night like some thug?!"

At that Sehun went cold. An empty smile slipped onto his face. The same smile Hun had seen him give their parents when they struck a nerve.

"Thug? Is that how you see me? That's what you think I do? "

"Sehun---."

"No. Don't bother brother." Sehun whispered. "You must be embarrassed to have a brother like me. A thug right? Poor, poor you."

"Sehun that's not what I meant." Hun reached out to his other half. Frantically trying to placate the rage he could see simmering just behind Sehun's eyes.

"You said it Hun. You meant it. Why else would you say that?"

Hun shrank back, drawing in on himself, cowering under Sehun's growing ire.

"Poor you. Poor mom. And poor dad. You're all stuck with _me_." Sehun snarled. "You all must be dying."

With that Sehun turned on his heel and headed into the bathroom, slamming the door with enough force to shake the house.

Hun looked down at his hands in silence, feeling more lonely that night, than on any other night when Sehun wasn't there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Greyscale is out ... and about!! ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ  
> (Yikes what an entrance) 
> 
> I had some time, and was able to post this for you all! Thank you for staying with me so far. We're almost at ten chapters!! Please read the notes for chapter 10 because I am going to talk about the story and I may spoil you. A bit. But not much. 
> 
> This chapter was a continuation of the chapter before, with a focus on D.O and his team. Did you like it? Let me know in the comments. 
> 
> I also wanted to address Sehun's twin: Hun. I got the idea of giving Sehun an older twin brother from Dokgo Rewind. The twin in Dokgo Rewind is named Kang Hun, I assumed that Kang was the surname of the character, so I just switched out Kang with Oh, and that's how Oh Hun was made! There is a lot behind their interaction in this chapter and there will be more in the future.
> 
> Ciao! ヾ( ´ ▽ ` )


	10. Chapter 10

18:00 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

After his brother had shown him their room at the hotel, Junmyeon had quickly showered and dove under the covers for a long nap to recover from jetlag. When he had woken up, Paris was bright and the sky was dark. 

Shit. Junmyeon thought to himself. His brother had kindly invited him on vacation, even paid for it, and all Junmyeon had done was sleep, instead of spending time with him.

“Well, look who’s up.” Came a chuckle.

Junmyeon turned to find his brother sitting in the bed beside his, and snickering into a cup of coffee. 

“Hyung, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.” 

“It’s fine Myeon. I’m just surprised you still sleep like that.” Xiumin pointed at the pillow Junmyeon had been cuddled to death while sleeping. “It’s cute.”

Junmyeon blushed in embarrassment. 

“You haven’t changed either. Who drinks coffee at a time like this?”

Xiumin shrugged. “You know what they say, old habits die hard. So are you up for dinner?”

Junmyeon nodded. “Are your friends coming?”

Xiumin shook his head. He had given everyone the night off to do whatever they wanted. He wanted to have time alone with Junmyeon and the only way to do that was to get the others out doing something else. Kai had immediately headed to the nearest ballet hall, eager to watch a performance of Swan Lake (it had been quite surprising to a particular Byun Baekhyun, who thought Kai had no hobby other than “kissing-Xiumin’s-ass”). Baekhyun had gone shopping, insisting that since he was in Paris, it was the best time to catch up on fashion. Chen on the other hand, had disappeared to God knows where. After they had finished at the bank, Chen took the Rubix cube as a souvenir, stating simply that it was the first time he had ever seen a Rubix cube as a security device. 

“No, just us. Is there anywhere you want to go in particular?”

“Hyung, I just woke up. Anywhere is good.” Junmyeon laughed.

Xiumin tipped his head thoughtfully. “How does dinner in front of the Eiffel tower sound?”

Junmyeon perked up at that.

“That sounds good. I can take pictures, maybe even post some on Instagram.”

Xiumin blinked. He didn’t want to tell Junmyeon that he couldn’t post the pictures. At least not yet. Maybe he could get Chen to prevent them from being shown. 

“Get dressed.” Xiumin chuckled. “Unless you want to walk the streets of France like that.”

He was pointing at Junmyeon’s extra large Red Velvet concert t-shirt and Star Wars sweats. 

“What’s wrong with this?” Junmyeon pouted. 

He was a Red Velvet superfan. And he was proud of it. Sue him if you must. He had every single album and all their versions. He also knew every song, each concept, every members voice, and don’t even try to argue about choreography. Junmyeon knew it all. 

When it came to Star Wars, Junmyeon was a legend among his classmates in M.I.T. He had won three intense Star Wars trivia rounds consecutively, and won a limited edition of Mace Windu’s amethyst lightsaber. Life size version.

Xiumin chuckled, shaking his head. 

“I think a day shopping with Baekhyun is needed with you. What did you pack?”

“T-shirts, jeans, the basics.” Junmyeon replied.

“Here.” Xiumin handed Junmyeon a neatly ironed baby blue button down from his suitcase. “Where that with your black jeans and we’ll be good to go.”

Xiumin waited while Junmyeon prepared. He finished his cup of coffee quickly, anxiousness setting in. He didn’t have a clue what to say or ask Junmyeon during their dinner. Should he ask about school? Mom and dad? Friends? Hobbies? What would he do when Junmyeon started asking questions? Just the thought had Xiumin wringing his hands. 

His thoughts were interrupted when Junmyeon opened the door of the bathroom.

“All set hyung. How do I look?” 

Junmyeon had his hair combed back from his face, a cheerful smile on his face. Xiumin gave him a long once over before stopping at the sight of his shoes. Looking back at him, were Junmyeon’s pair of worn black Converse. Xiumin knew Myeon was an entirely different shoes size than him. He didn’t have anything to fit his brother, and borrowing from the others was out of the question, so he let the shoes go.

“You look good.” Xiumin smiled.

\---

Chen sat tucked his feet underneath himself as he watch Junmyeon and Xiumin leave the hotel, just across the street from the little internet cafe he was sitting in. Running a hand through his hair, he couldn't help but smirk. He had no intention of following his team leader, but there was something he wanted to test. Baekhyun had always told Chen to stop obsessing over Xiumin's past, but there was something that always tugged at Chen's mind. He loved puzzles, and the best puzzles out there were people. Xiumin to be exact.

Xiumin had been the agent to test and evaluate Chen before he entered the agency. Whenever Chen asked him about his past, Xiumin deflected the questions. Chen could always see a twinge of fear creeping in his team leader's eyes whenever he asked. Since then, Chen had made it his mission to figure out what it was. 

Compared to the rest of his teammates, Chen was the best at reading body language and profiling other people. It had helped Chen survive life at home and more. It also made Chen a hard person to lie to. However, much to his surprise, Xiumin had managed to fool him more than a couple times, and it was just as much infuriating to Chen as it was intriguing.

Xiumin had always evaded Chen's attempts to test him. He could always tell when he was being followed, but with Junmyeon there, would he still be able to do that? Chen contemplated tailing them, but decided against it. Instead a small idea formed in his mind. 

It would probably be better to use _Junmyeon_ to test Xiumin. At the thought, Chen's lips pull back into a full blown smile. He knew exactly how to get to Xiumin, through Junmyeon. Humming happily to himself, Chen packed away his laptop and crossed the street to the hotel, practically skipping with glee.

After switching to room with Kai and Baekhyun, Chen had given Junmyeon his key, but that didn't mean that he couldn't get in. After picking at the lock for a bit, Chen let himself into the room. It was blatantly obvious who slept in which bed. Junmyeon, who had taken Chen's bed, had made a complete mess of it. There were clothes strewn on the unmade bed, with the open suitcase on the floor. Xiumin however, had left his bed like he had never slept in it. The white sheets where neatly tucked in, the pillows properly fluffed and set up, with his clothes folded neatly in his suitcase and a pair of shoes under the bed.

Chen crossed from Xiumin's side, to Junmyeon's quickly retrieving the briefing file he got from Xiumin, with the corresponding USB drive and tucks it under Junmyeon's pillow in a way that only he can see it. Gleefully clapping his hands together, he exited the room and headed a door down to where he was rooming with Baekhyun and Kai. Once he's in the room, he takes Baekhyun's briefing file and USB drive, and places them in his bag. He knows what will happen. By the time Xiumin comes to ask them who's missing a file, only Baekhyun will be without one. Xiumin would probably drag Baekhyun for it, but he certainly wouldn't suspect Chen at all.

_Sorry Byun, I need you to take this one for me._

Chen tossed his bag aside and decided to call it a night. He couldn't stop smiling to himself though. The thought of being able to test Xiumin making him grin. Hell it made him happy. All he had to do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!! 
> 
> We've officially reached 10 chapter!! \\(★ω★)/ 
> 
> School's been winding down a bit, so I am trying to post as much as I can before I get backed up with school again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I just wanted to address the different times between chapters 8,9, and 10, incase anyone is confused. Seoul, South Korea is about 7 hours ahead of Paris, France, so the events of chapters 8 and 9, are occurring during the events of chapter 10. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone for the comments and 10 kudos, as well as for just reading this fic in general. It warms my heart that people like my writing. So I am very thankful to you all. (シ_ _)シ (<\-- that's me bowing incase it looks weird)
> 
> Focusing on the story, I wanted to let you all know where the story is, time wise. It's basically day 3 of the whole assignment for Xiumin's team. They are going to head to Seoul after they get Junmyeon to tell them what was used in the security breach at the bank, but as you all read, Chen has other plans for Junmyeon. (¬ ¬ ) 
> 
> For anyone who is wonder what's going down with Blackpink, don't worry. The girls are killing it! Literally! Let me know what you think about the plot so far. Don't be shy about writing long comments. I tend to do that when I read other people's fics and I don't mind it at all. I will read what you have to say and reply to you.
> 
> I have one small spoiler for you: Kitchen fight.
> 
> Anyway, it's back to writing for me. __〆(￣ー￣ ) 
> 
> Ta ta! ☆ﾐ(o*･ω･)ﾉ


	11. Chapter 11

05:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

_"Detective Kim any word on possible suspects?"_

_"Detective Kim, who do you think killed Park Haeil?"_

_"Detective Kim, can you speak on whether the issues within the police department will affect the outcome of this case?"_

_"Detective Kim, was the death a suicide?"_

_"Detective Kim! What do you have to say about investigating the death of one of the biggest names in Seoul?"_

_"Detective Kim!"_

_"Detective Kim!"_

_"DETECTIVE KIM!"_

Sighing Namjoon leaned back against the side of his car and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. No amount of coffee or lollipops could keep his ears from ringing after what had probably been the worst press conference of his life. His eyes itched after being flashed by so many cameras, and the headache that had been building from the night before, was hitting him full force.

"Detective Kim?"

Namjoon turned on his heel, preparing to give the annoying reporter the throwdown of their life and instead saw someone else. Holding out a cup of coffee to him, with a cheery look on his face, is none other than junior detective Jeon Jungkook. His cheeks were red, and his chest was heaving, and Namjoon wondered how fast the kid ran from the coffee shop down the street and back to the police station.

"Oh, thanks kid." Namjoon takes the steaming cup from Jungkook's hands, noting how the younger managed to get his order right. "Why are you here so early? You don't start until seven."

Jungkook bounced on his heels, smiling sheepishly at the cracks in the pavement beneath their feet. He wasn't entirely sure how to tell the elder that he was a huge fan of his work. While a cadet in training, Jungkook had often heard about the incredible detective Kim Namjoon and all the criminals he had put behind bars. After graduation, Jungkook had applied to work at the Seoul police headquarters and had gotten the job, hoping he would one day run into his role model, and here he was.

Kim Namjoon looked vastly different from the polished photo Jungkook kept beside his bunny mug on his work desk. The Namjoon in the photo had been younger, polished, more ambitious looking, and incredibly alive. The man in front of him now, was more like a washed out version. Kim Namjoon's shoulders weren't straight, his head wasn't held high, and he definitely didn't look alive. There was a grey aura around him. It tugged at the color of the world around him, sucking the color away and making all things grey, like himself. It was like he was under a perpetual raining cloud. Jungkook's role model looked tired and frayed. His brown hair was dull, lacking any gel or style and it lung limply in his eyes. His eyes looked dull, with bags underneath them and a permanent frown was set on his face. Even with his height, he seemed quite small, even smaller, since his shoulders hunched. Kim Namjoon didn't look like the photo Jungkook had beside his bunny mug, but he was still the younger's role model. Nothing could change that.

"I heard about the case you got assigned. I was hoping you'd pick me to be your partner."

Namjoon coughed into the cup, nearly spilling the scalding coffee down his front. He hastily rightened himself, playing off the near disaster, by blowing quickly on the coffee to cool it down.

"How'd you know I got a case?"

Jungkook scratched the back of his head laughing lightly. "I may have--- er, I might have hung around the station before getting you coffee? I saw the reporters. It looks like a big case."

Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "The station was filled with reporters at five-thirty this morning. You live far from here, so that means you were up at around four right? Why weren't you at home?!"

Jungkook looked down, cowed by Namjoon's sharp tone. It immediately made the elder feel bad.

"I just wanted to help you. I'm a junior detective, so there's not much I can do unless I'm working with a senior officer. I was hoping working with you could teach me something."

"Look here, um. Jungkook." 

Namjoon wasn't completely sure how to tell the young detective "no", but he knew he had to do it. He didn't want a partner. Having a partner meant having to watch someone else's back. It meant having to take care of them, when he could barely do the same for himself. He would rather not get involved with the junior detective. He already had too much on his plate. Chief Commissioner Bang was already pressuring him to solve the case quickly in order for the press to be off their backs.

 _"You're a good detective. I need you to solve the case quickly, though. The press has been on the police like a spotlight, and we haven't really been favored by the public lately. Make this quick and catch the suspects. It'll make the police look good. You'll look good. It will be a win win for everyone, so please wrap this case up quickly. I'm trusting_ you _Detective Kim."_

"I don't need and I don't want a partner right now." Namjoon avoided looking Jungkook in the eyes, fearful of the the disappointed look he would receive. 

After all the times he was rejected possible partnerships, Namjoon thought he would be used to the look, but it still made him feel terribly uncomfortable.

_"I looked up to you!"_

Namjoon squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the ghosts of past offers. Past disappointments. 

"I promise to listen to everything you say." Jungkook pleaded. "I'll get you anything you need, anytime. Please?"

"Like I said, I don't need..."

Namjoon's words are cut short when he gazed into the eyes of the younger. Namjoon had been preparing to give the junior detective his darkest glare in order to send him running. Jungkook however, met his glare with full on puppy eyes. And it's a bit intense. It was almost like he was daring Namjoon to even think of saying no. 

"Sure. You can work with me on this case. I'll take you as my partner."

The words are out of his mouth and in the wind faster than Namjoon can blink.

_What the hell just came out of my mouth. And how?_

Jungkook let out a whoop of triumph, enthusiastically fist bumping the air, only stopping when he caught sight of Namjoon's weary face.

"It's going to be an honor working with you sir." Jungkook stuck his hand out to Namjoon, which the elder shook weakly.

"Right. Of course. Total honor."

\---

It had only been seven hours later into his new "partnership" and detective Kim Namjoon had already convinced himself that junior detective Jeon Jungkook was not human. He didn't think he even saw him blink once. The junior detective had instantly taken complete control of the crime scene, when they had gone back to the hotel to get more information from the CSI. Jungkook was practically bouncing off the walls of the hotel room like a damn pinball.

Namjoon stood still and silent, his mind nearly in a complete haze at the sight of Jungkook whipping around. One second he was examining the stature of the corpse by laying beside the markers on the floor, next he was taking notes from the CSI and statements from the cleaning lady. A blink later and Jungkook was collecting evidence around the room and then he was in front of Namjoon with his mouth moving at the speed of light.

"Did you hear what I said, sir?"

Namjoon blinked. "Sorry no, say that again."

"The cleaning lady said she saw a woman leave the hotel room earlier and then three men later left this floor around the time Park Haeil was killed. I think we should go to the hotel security and ask to view the footage from last night. Hopefully we can identify our suspects."

"You think _three_ men killed Park Haeil?"

"Mmm. No, of course not." Jungkook frowned. "There's no real signs of a struggle, I mean, look at the place. The bed's not made, and that's about it."

Namjoon scratched the back of his head, and walked around the room slowly. He glanced over the scene before him, running possible theories in his head.

 _Three men come to meet Park Haeil at around midnight. Park dies, and the three men leave, but no struggle? Park is a well built man, no health issues. Shouldn't he have put up a fight? Maybe he knew the men? But the hickies? An affair? Did his wife find out and hire those men? Does the mistress have something to do with this?_

Namjoon dragged a hand down his face. There was something wrong about the crime scene. The motive seemed too easy to reach and Namjoon had a feeling that the case was much more complicated than it appeared. 

"Jungkook, let's head to the security office and see if they have any footage."

"Of course sir." The junior detective chirped eagerly. 

Namjoon's mind was in the wind as they took the elevator to the basement level of the hotel. There was a part of himself that desperately wanted to finish the case, just so Commissioner Bang wouldn't be on his back, but then there was the other part of himself that wanted to looked at everything closely. He wanted to take his time and peal back the layers of the crime and find the culprit. Time wasn't on his side however. The Commissioner wanted the case solved quickly, but this case was too odd to be solved quickly. Sure, Namjoon knew he could easily announce the case as homicide to the public, and issue wanted posters for three men, but that would hardly do anything. The press would ream him, especially that annoying reporter Kim Seokjin.

"Sir?"

Namjoon turns to look at Jungkook who is fiddling nervously with his coat.

"What?"

"Would you like to grab lunch after this? You've only been drinking coffee and you're on your fifth lollipop."

Namjoon quickly pulled the candy out of his mouth and dunked it in his now cold coffee. He wishes his new partner wasn't so perceptive and he'd rather not get attached. 

"I'm good."

It was at that moment, Namjoon's stomach decided to vocalize its vehement disagreement with the previous statement.

Silence filled the elevator, as Namjoon looked anywhere but at Jungkook. 

"Lunch right? I hope you know a good place."

Jungkook grinned so widely, Namjoon was sure his face would split in two.

"You can count on me sir!"

\---

"Hello! I'm Jeon Jungkook of the Seoul PD, we are here to check security footage for last night."

Jungkook smiled brightly as he held out his badge to the large security guard, who only grunted in response. 

Namjoon face-palmed. _This guy is a whole other breed of rookie._

"Place is all yours, I'm goin' out on my lunch break."

With that, the large room filled with screens was left to them.

Jungkook sat in the security man's chair, spinning around in the chair to look at Namjoon.

"Where do you think we should start Detective Kim?"

"Start with the footage around the time Park Haeil entered the hotel."

Jungkook began searching through the security cams. Namjoon watched as Park Haeil checked into the hotel. 

"You mentioned a woman possibly meeting Park Haeil, maybe she's show up on the footage?" Jungkook asked Namjoon.

"We'll see." Namjoon replied, keeping his eyes on the screens.

They never did.

Jungkook frowned and fast forwarded the footage, then replayed it to try to see the woman, but she never appeared. 

"Sir?"

Namjoon scrubbed a hand down his face. At least he now knew there was no way that the crime committed could have been done by a petty criminal. Whoever killed Park Haeil was professional. Perhaps a hitman or hit-woman of some sort. Now he had to look not only for who killed the rich heir, he had to find who had ordered the killing, and that could mean going up against very public and very rich people.

"Of course," He sighed "our suspects were smart enough to edit the footage. All we have now, is that cleaning lady's testimony."

Namjoon pulled a lollipop out of his coat, quickly tearing off the wrapper and popping it into his mouth. He needed to think hard about this case. Beside him Jungkook was smiling.

"What's got you all happy?" Namjoon muttered around the lollipop. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He felt pissed about the lack of information and right there beside him, was the junior detective who was grinning like an idiot. Namjoon had no idea why his partner looked so happy.

"Well, I was thinking, that this case will be more interesting now."

"Really now?"

"I thought this case could be solved quickly, but now I think, this is much more fun." Jungkook smiled slightly. "I want to show just how hard I can work and then catch whoever killed Park Haeil."

Namjoon looked away from the younger, letting his eyes glance over the replying footage in front of them. He wanted to close his eyes for a moment. No, he wanted to close his eyes for an eternity. There was a part of him that wanted nothing more, than to go to his apartment and bury himself under the covers of his bed. The other part of him wanted to solve the case, wanted to deliver justice like he was supposed to. One of the two parts of Namjoon won in that moment.

"Yeah," Namjoon gave Jungkook his most encouraging smile. "Let's work hard."

\---

22:00 Busan, South Korea 35.1796° N, 129.0756° E

Rosé loved a good night out, if she did say so herself. She adjusted the fleece lined jean jacket on her shoulders, making sure it hung effortlessly off her shoulders, like a royal mantel. Her soft pink hair was curled, and cascaded down her back in shimmering waves. Rosé smirked at her reflection in the cracked mirror.

"Just how long are you going to stare at yourself?" Lisa groaned as she leaned against the entrance. She had just re-dyed her hair the same bright orange from before and had pulled it up into a tight high ponytail. She was bored out of her mind waiting for Rosé.

"As long as I want to." Rosé replied. 

She looked good and she felt good. 

Beware.

Lisa snorted. Whenever Rosé dressed up, there was always that infallible cocky aura that enveloped her. Not that Lisa minded. Rosé looked good when she dressed up. 

"Come on. We've got plenty of other places to go to. Jisoo gave us a list. The girls are getting restless." Lisa yanked one of Rosé's curls, and snickered at the other's yelp of pain.

"We have time, Lisa. This is the third club tonight. Don't you think we should take this slowly? Aren't you the least bit tired out?" Rosé gestured to the unconscious bodies littering the filthy bathroom floor. There were more in the main room of the club. They had picked a good time to stop by. Nobody really went to clubs during week days, so only Il Joon's goons had been at the club when they entered. It was a good this Jisoo had connections in Korea. They had managed to gather a group of twenty girls well trained in fighting, themselves included to enter the club. 

On some level, Rosé pitied the men on the ground. They had made the mistake of letting her and Lisa in, thinking that a group of giggling girls wanted a good time. Under Jisoo's orders, they didn't kill anyone. They were just sending a message: 

_Blackpink runs the game now_.

"Il Joon and his crew will get the message, now. We want to borrow his territory for the race." Lisa shrugged, examining the her nails.

Rose checked herself in the mirror once more, adjusting her coat one last time.

"Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Greyscale is back! ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ 
> 
> So... I kinda wanna scream at the top of my lungs right now. If you're in the fandom y'all know why. 
> 
> Anyway, here's a new chapter. Meet Detective Kim Namjoon and his partner Junior Detective Jeon Jungkook! I thought the story would be more fun, if our lovely agents had to only to not stop Blackpink, but also have to avoid running into civilian law enforcement. The civilian police have no idea, the agency exists, so it may cause some problems (*wink,wink*). 
> 
> So the relationship between Namjoon and Jungkook is strictly professional (maybe they'll become best friends later on). I wanted Namjoon to be tired out and sick of his life as a detective (sort of like Peter B. Parker from Into the Spiderverse), while Jungkook is his lively positive partner who looks up to him in everything.
> 
> Blackpink in your area! Literally! The lovely ladies are back and they just "borrowed" some gang territory to set up the race and some meeting points for clients. I honestly can't wait to show you what they can do. 
> 
> (Just in case anyone is wondering, Busan and Seoul aren't that different time wise, so when Blackpink appears, it's really just night time in Korea for everyone.)
> 
> Anywho, thanks for reading and see you next chapter! (・∀・)ノ


	12. Chapter 12

22:00 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

Junmyeon hadn't felt this happy in years. He had brought his camera with him, often stopping his elder brother on their way back to the hotel to take pictures. 

"Myeon, don't you think you're taking too many pictures?" Minseok had laughed at him as he dragged him to stand in front of a graffiti covered wall.

"Stand still, I want to get a good shot!" Junmyeon scolded his brother. 

Minseok smiled at the Junmyeon more than he did at the camera. There was a click, then a flash, and Junmyeon made a sound of triumph.

"Good! This looks great. You look great Minseok!" Junmyeon fiddled with the camera, before handing it to his brother. "Now take a picture of me."

Minseok tried not to role his eyes at all the ridiculous poses Junmyeon made and did as he was told. Junmyeon was acting just as he did when they had been younger, and it brought a smile to his face. When he was with Junmyeon he wasn't agent Xiumin, he was just Minseok, Junmyeon's older brother, and he was content with that.

"I'm a bit tired, Myeon let's head back." Minseok tugged on the back of Junmyeon's collar, trying to pull him in the direction of the hotel.

Jumyeon pouted. "But we just got here."

Minseok arched an eyebrow. "We had dinner about three hours ago. We've been _walking_ for three hours."

"Oh?" Junmyeon blushed in embarrassment. "I guess we should head back now."

They rode a cab back to the hotel in a comfortable silence. Minseok turned to look at Junmyeon while the other gazed out the window. 

His younger brother had grown up a bit since he had last saw him. A part of Minseok wanted to tell his brother the truth about himself. About why he didn't go home, why he rarely called, why he was so far away. Minseok had the truth on the tip of his tongue, but he kept his lips sealed, not only for Junmyeon's sake, but for his own as well. He didn't know if he could stand the thought of Junmyeon being dragged into his world. 

"Minseok? We're here." Junmyeon tapped his shoulder as the taxi approached the entrance of the hotel. 

Minseok blinked, startled out of his deep thoughts. Once they had entered the hotel and gone to their room, Minseok excused himself to the bathroom, wanting nothing more but to take a shower and dive into bed. Junmyeon let his brother go before him, still slightly guilty over the three hour walk he had forced on him.

Junmyeon began pushing the clothes he had hastily thrown around earlier backinto his suitcase when something in the messy pile caught his eye. It was a simple unassuming black file, with a USB drive attached to it. Junmyeon pushed away the clothes laying on top of it away quickly. He didn't remember bring a file with him, so where did it come from? Junmyeon frowned at the file, turning it over in his hands without opening it. Maybe it was Minseok's? No, it couldn't be. But if it was, wouldn't he be intruding on his brother's privacy? 

In the end, curiosity won out, and Junmyeon cracked the file open, not knowing the truth he would soon uncover about his elder brother.

`Agency Briefing File #52415: Operation Diamond Race`

`Assigned Agents: `

*   
`Agent Xiumin | Registered Number 0-99`   

``  


*   
`Agent Baekhyun | Registered Number 0-04`   

``  


*   
`Agent Chen | Registered Number 0-21`   

``  


*   
`Agent Kai | Registered Number 0-88`   

``  


`**Objective** : **Retrieve The Aetherius Aurora** from Blackpink during the street race in Busan, South Korea two weeks from now.`

`Estimated Worth of Object of Retrieval: _$400,000,000 USD_`

`**Perpetrators** : **Blackpink** : Four member all female criminal gang, comprised of Lalisa Manoban, Jennie Kim, Rosé Park, and Jisoo Kim. Apprehend these individuals if possible. Remember the main goal of this mission is to _retrieve the diamond at **all costs**_.`

`**Jisoo Kim** : `

`**Age** : 23`

`**Position** : Leader`

`**Specialties** :`

*   
`Con Woman`   

``  


*   
`Language`   

``  


*   
`Undercover`   

``  


*   
`Poison`   

``  


*   
`Strategist`   

``  


`**Attributes** :`

*   
`Incredibly Persuasive/Influential`   

``  


*   
`Manipulative`   

``  


*   
`Dedicated`   

``  


`**Status** : Active`

`**Jennie Kim** : `

`**Age** : 22`

`**Position** : Combat`

`**Specialties** :`

*   
`Hand to Hand Combat`   

``  


*   
`Knives`   

``  


*   
`Sharp shooter`   

``  


*   
`Surveillance`   

``  


`**Attributes** :`

*   
`Efficient`   

``  


*   
`Cunning`   

``  


*   
`Loyal`   

``  


`**Status** : Active`

`**Rosé Park** : `

`**Age** : 22`

`**Position** : Tech`

`**Specialties** :`

*   
`Hacking`   

``  


*   
`Language`   

``  


*   
`Forging/Counterfeits`   

``  


`**Attributes** :`

*   
`Precise and Accurate`   

``  


*   
`Playful`   

``  


*   
`Deceiving`   

``  


`**Status** : Active`

`**Lalisa Manoban** : `

`**Age** : 21`

`**Position** : Ace`

`**Specialties** :`

*   
`Weaponry`   

``  


*   
`Explosives`   

``  


*   
`Hand to Hand Combat`   

``  


*   
`Poison`   

``  


`**Attributes** :`

*   
`Wild Card`   

``  


*   
`Playful`   

``  


*   
`Unpredictable`   

``  


`**Status** : Active `

 

Junmyeon set the folder down, staring at the pictures on the briefing page in silent shock. He let his eyes rest on the one familiar face on the page. A headshot picture of his own brother, under the name of _Agent Xiumin_. In that moment, Junmyeon couldn't hear anything, but the blood rushing in his ears. He turned his head to look at the door to the bathroom, just across from his bed, his brother still showering within. What in the world was this?

With shaking hands Junmyeon took the USB drive and plugged it into his laptop. At once, a woman appeared on the screen.

"Hello, I am L. How may I be of assistance?"

"Who is agent Xiumin?" Junmyeon whispered shakily. He desperately wanted this all to be a joke. It all had to be a prank, right? His brother. His smiling, laughing, caring older brother was no agent. Right?

"Agent Xiumin, code number 0-9-9." L spoke. "Minseok Kim, a.k.a Agent Xiumin entered the agency in May 20XX. Age, twenty-eight. Position, leader. Confirmed successful missions, twenty-three."

"Stop." Junmyeon blurted. He slammed his laptop shut, pulling the USB out quickly and setting it aside. He couldn't believe it. His own brother had been living a double life, the moment he had left home. A double life as an agent. Suddenly, Junmyeon could hear the nob of the bathroom door turning. Hastily, Junmyeon hid the folder under his pillow with the USB drive.

Minseok stepped out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam following him as he toweled his hair dry. He smiled at Junmyeon when their eyes met.

"Sorry I took so long, you can go in now."

Junmyeon stared at him. His hands had trembled slightly. He wasn't sure what to think of his brother.

"Right, I'll go in next."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Its an update! ヾ(*'▽'*) 
> 
> I'm sorry this chapter is a bit of a filler for the stuff I'm writing for the next chapter so please bear with me! Thank you all for reading this fic though. I honestly didn't think anyone would really find this fic interesting at first, but since so many people have read it, I am going to do everything to live up to your expectations! I really appreciate comments, so feel free to leave any!
> 
> (*Dramatic Ass Gasp!*) Junmyeon has found out! ∑(O_O;) 
> 
> Alas, what will the younger Kim brother do with the information he has now acquired, unknowingly from the hands of the mischievous agent Chen?! Stay tuned for the next chapter ladies and gentlemen and we shall soon find out! (*please read in the most annoying show host voice you can think of in your head*)
> 
> Thanks for reading! See you next chapter! Ta-ta! ( ´ ω ` )ノ~


	13. Chapter 13

23:00 Paris, France 48.8566° N, 2.3522° E

“Explain.”

Junmyeon stood in front of four people, each with the ability to kill him in probably five seconds. He had gathered them all in Chen, Baekhyun, and Kai’s room right after taking his shower. And yet, they all looked like a bunch of scolded preschoolers. He waved the file and USB drive in front of them, demanding answers.

Kai was as silent as ever, while Baekhyun looked nervously at the floor, Chen had the gall to look amused about the entire situation before him. His own brother, Minseok--- no _Xiumin_ , sat looking rather pale, with his hands clasped in front of him.

“Well, erm. You see, we wanted to prank you a bit. It’s a joke.” Baekhyun chuckled weakly as he tugged anxiously on his pink hair.

Junmyeon wasn't buying it for a second. After he had finished his shower, Minseok was already gone from their room, which prompted him to go to next room over where he knew his brother's friends were staying.

Junmyeon turned to look directly at his brother.

“Nothing to say for yourself?!” He snapped.

“Junmyeon, look I---”

“You _lied_. You are a _liar_.” Junmyeon cut his brother off. “Do mom and dad know this? Do they know that you were never studying abroad?!”

“No, they don’t know.” Minseok closed his eyes, willing away the massive headache that were beginning to form.

“How?!” Junmyeon yelled. “This entire time? Why didn't you tell me! All of you are secret agents working for some secret international organization---!”

Junmyeon’s rant was cut off by the sudden vise-like grip Chen had on his mouth.

“I understand that this is a bit of a shock to you, but please do us all a favor and lower your voice. All of France doesn’t need to hear what we’re discussing right now.”

Chen’s smiled was chilling, it had the kind of shine to it, that made a promise that Chen would kill Junmyeon without a moment's hesitation. And it made Junmyeon remember exactly who he was dealing with. Xiumin, seeing the fear Junmyeon was regarding Chen with, made him spring into action.

“Get your hands off my brother.” Xiumin snarled, shoving Chen quickly away and hiding Junmyeon behind him.

Chen raised his hands in the air, a more humor-filled smile tugged on his lips. This was new behavior from Xiumin. Xiumin was very protective of Junmyeon, so protective, that he would turn on his own teammates to protect him? It was intriguing.

_Just who are you, Xiumin?_ Chen narrowed his eyes slightly at his team leader. 

“Look, Junmyeon, this is all my fault.” Xiumin turned to look at his younger brother. “I should have never brought you over.”

“Right. Of course.” Junmyeon laughed bitterly. “You’re not sorry for lying, you’re sorry for getting caught.”

“No. No, goodness, no Myeon. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then if that’s not the case, then why?”

“It was to protect you. I figured the less you knew, the safer you would be.” Xiumin reached for his brother’s hand.

“And what a lovely job you’re done.” Junmyeon yanked his hand out of reach. “I want the truth. Everything. Why you’re in Paris, what your mission is. Why you called me here. Now.”

“It’s sort of a long story.” Baekhyun muttered from behind Kai’s shoulder.

Junmyeon huffed and made himself comfortable on the end of Kai’s bed. He tipped his chin up in defiance, bring his arms tightly across his chest. He looked each agent squarely in the eye, settling on his brother's nervous form in the end.

“Well, we’ve got all night.”

\---

“I’m coming with you.”

There they were. The words Xiumin had been dreading the moment he had started explaining things to Junmyeon.

“Absolutely not.” Xiumin shook his head at his brother. “I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

“I’ll tell mom and dad.”

Xiumin blanched much to his teammates amusement. Kai doubled over laughing with Baekhyun as Chen tried to disguise his snort as a cough.

“Myeon, please be reasonable.” Xiumin pleaded. “Mom and dad don’t need to know about this.”

“They will if you don’t let me help.”

“All we need is to figure out how to break the Phantom code, Rosé used. That can all be done here.”

“What if you need more than that?” Junmyeon countered.

“You have to go back to the States. You have grad school to finish.”

“I can make it up later. Plus who said that they need to know that I’m not there?”

“You’re going back.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

It was like watching an argument between two little kids, and Baekhyun was living for it. He had never seen Xiumin behaving so childishly and Junmyeon wasn’t letting his older win. 

“Uh, guys. The sun’s coming up.” Kai pointed to the light starting to break through the curtains.

“Right.” Baekhyun clapped his hands together. “I think we should all call it a night, and go to sleep.”

“Makes sense, since we’re leaving tonight.” Chen nodded. As entertaining the night had been, he was dying to get some shut eye.

“You’re leaving tonight?!” Junmyeon looked at the four agents before in shock. “What about me?”

“I --- We were planning to trick you into helping us solve the Phantom program without letting you know what we were really doing. Then I was going to make up an excuse that something came up, and I was going to let you have the rest of your vacation in Paris.” Xiumin looked anywhere but at his brother. 

Junmyeon stared at Xiumin in pure disappointment. “So you were just going to leave me here? _Alone_?”

“Yes.” Xiumin’s voice was barely a whisper. He suddenly felt ashamed of himself. Of what he had been planning, of what he would have done to his brother. He couldn’t look Junmyeon in the eye.

Kai grabbed Baekhyun and Chen, who whined in protest, and herded them out the door. He knew that Xiumin and Junmyeon needed to talk things out. Xiumin sent his teammate a grateful look as he left.

“Why?” Junmyeon searched Xiumin’s eyes, for something. Anything. For some reason, he couldn’t recognize who was in front of him. Who was this? Minseok? Xiumin? Who was real? Who was fake? Junmyeon was lost, all he wanted was his brother.

“I chose this.” Xiumin sighed. “You do not need to. Look at you Myeon. You’re about to graduate from one of the greatest schools in the world. Don’t let what I am, what I’ve become, stop that.”

“You’re talking like you’ve become a monster.”

“Maybe I have.” Xiumin smiled tiredly. “I’m not like I was, but seeing you, reminded me of _then_. It made me forget about _now_. Every lie I’ve told, it’s changed me. Myeon, you do not want to join me. I can promise you that.”

“You’re not me.” Junmyeon blurted. “You don’t know what I want. You don’t have a clue.”

Xiumin looked down. “Please.”

_Please Myeon, run away and never look back. Please._

Junmyeon pulled his older brother into a hug. It was the first time he had ever seen Minseok so small.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’ll be there right with you.” Junmyeon whispered as the sun rose above the horizon.

\---

"You can't tell me this is normal." Junmyeon looked at the hologram in Kai's hand in amazement.

Night had come to Paris and their time in the city was coming to a close. Junmyeon had to admit, he would sort of miss not being able to stay, but there were much more pressing matters to deal with, like helping his brother (who happened to turn out to be a secret agent) stop Blackpink.

Kai shrugged as he pinched and pulled the map to zoom in on their route to the airport. 

"This tech is normal to us. The tech you civies use is a bit out of date."

"Civies?"

"It's short for civilians." Kai explained as he turned off the hologram. 

"I'm a civie?"

"Yup." Baekhyun's voice sounded off in Junmyeon's ear.

Junmyeon jumped nearly three feet in the air, earning a laugh from Kai.

"Can you not do that?"

"Do what?" Baekhyun feigned innocence as his lips pulled back into an impish smile.

"Sneak, creep, whatever it is you do."

"We can't help it." Kai chuckled. "The training we've been through makes up that way."

"Soundless?"

"In our field of work, the less people know, hear, or see you, the longer you live." Chen had joined them outside of the hotel, tossing his suitcase into the trunk of the rental car.

"Okay." Junmyeon nodded. "So what are missions like?"

All three glanced at each other, looks of unease passing between them.

"I'd ask Xiumin if I were you." Chen suggested. 

"Yeah, I think it would be better if you heard it from him first." Kai nodded. "He is your brother after all."

Junmyeon pouted slightly. He hadn't really spoken to his elder brother since Minseok had sobbed into his shoulder that morning. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He just wanted to give his brother some time to deal with the idea that he would be joining them on the mission. Minseok had caved after Junmyeon had threatened to tell their parents. In the end, the two had come to a deal. Junmyeon would help with the mission, as long as he stayed out of danger. Basically, Junmyeon was tech support, if you will. He would help with a majority of tracking Blackpink's digital footprint, handling mission briefings, and he would help monitor the team missions from a desk at the agency. It was pretty awesome Junmyeon's eyes, infinitely better than being stuck in the States, back at M.I.T.

"Since we're all packed, I think we should all get to know you better, Junmyeon." Baekhyun leaned against the trunk of the car after he closed it. 

Baekhyun's lips pulled back into a mischievous smile. He leaned close into Junmyeon's face, watching him with intense interest, his gaze expectant.

"So, tell us about yourself, Junmyeonnie!"

"Well, I'm not really that interesting." Junmyeon blushed hard as Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. "Like I said earlier, I'm just a grad student. The most interesting thing about me is my brother."

"Oh really?" Baekhyun teased. "Nothing interesting, huh? I mean, singing like a true Red Velvet fanboy in the shower, is nothing interesting at all I suppose. You have a lovely voice by the way."

Junmyeon could feel the blood rushing to his face. Kai gave him a pitying look, while Chen snickered beside him.

"Plus you have quite the Red Velvet t-shirt collection. But like you said, you're totally _not interesting_."

Junmyeon gaped at Baekhyun's observations. How had he found out so much about him in barely two days?

"Aww, you're probably just a shy one aren't you?" Baekhyun reached out and pinched Junmyeon's cheek hard. "So cute."

Chen watched Junmyeon closely from his spot behind the car. He looked flustered at the thought of being the center of attention, preferring to listen than to be the one speaking. It wasn't like Xiumin, no. Xiumin would have changed the topic, insisting that there were more important things to focus on. Junmyeon didn't look like he knew how to avoid questions at all. Instead he have small fumbling answers, that only showed just how out of place he felt. 

"Leave Junmyeon alone." Kai quickly pulled Baekhyun away from Junmyeon who was busy rubbing his cheek in surprise. "Sorry, Baekhyun is a handsy person. Also, if you have anything valuable, hide it. Once he gets his hands on it, you're never getting it back."

"What can I say?" Baekhyun shrugged. "I've always liked pretty things."

Kai rolled his eyes, gesturing for all of them to enter the car as Xiumin appeared. 

"I hope the next pretty thing you like has teeth, so it can bite you in the ass."

Baekhyun pouted at that. "Kai, how could you wish such a thing on me? You love me right?"

Kai pretended to throw up at Bakehyun's words, then laughed when he dodged the other's fist.

"So when we get to Korea, where are we going?" Junmyeon couldn't contain his excitement. He was working on a mission. A secret mission. It was thrilling. Excitement coursed through his veins as he bounced eagerly in his seat.

"Headquarters in Seoul." Chen replied. "Since you're working with us, you need to be registered in the agency system. You also need to get a codename, we can't be calling you by your real name."

Junmyeon nodded. "So, did you guys chose your codenames?"

"Not all of us. Some of us got assigned our names. Others chose, though." Xiumin was the one who answered this time. "My name was given to me. Same with Kai."

"Oh, so what's your real name?" Junmyeon turned to look at Kai.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Kai's eyes bored into Junmyeon, suddenly making the spacious back seat of the car feel terribly cramped. 

Junmyeon gulped in horror, unable to look away from Kai's harsh glare. He felt like a mouse cornered by a gigantic cat. It was utterly terrifying. Junmyeon's eyes widened. His mouth moved, without making a sound as a roar of laughter filled the car.

"You can relax. I'm only joking." Kai's expression had changed from the smothering death gaze into a cheerful smile. He hid his laughter poorly behind a hand as he watched Junmyeon sputter.

"Well-- when you said it like that, I really thought I was going to die!" Junmyeon hit the younger on the arm. "Why did you say it like that?!"

"It's a joke, Myeon." Xiumin smiled. "Kai would never hurt you."

"Right, of course. I knew that." Junmyeon muttered as more laughter filled the car.

\---

Junmyeon's jaw dropped when he looked around the first class section they would be sitting in.

"What's with that face?" Xiumin poked at Junmyeon's cheek. "Didn't you ride first class when I paid for your ticket to Paris?"

"First class is something I will never get used to." Junmyeon replied as he tucked his backpack into the overhead carry-on compartments about their heads. 

After they were all settled, Baekhyun was sitting with Chen and Kai in the middle, and Xiumin with Junmyeon on to the left. 

"Before we all do our own thing," Xiumin gathered the group's attention to himself. "we need to settle some things first."

"Like what?" Chen frowned at the elder. Typically mission briefings were before they got on the plane, but then again, Chen had noticed Xiumin talking silently on his burner phone while at the airport. Xiumin had looked surprised, then confused when he had been on the phone, which in turn had begun worrying Chen.

"K informed me a while ago, that we'll have a welcoming party at the airport when we arrive." Xiumin spoke softly. "Two agents will be escorting us back to H.Q."

"Since when?" Kai chimed in, jabbing at Baekhyun's rib to get him to pay attention. "We never get escorts. Doesn't that attract too much attention?"

"Since now." Xiumin replied. "I have no idea why though."

"Are we being screened?" Baekhyun's head popped over Kai's shoulder. "Maybe that's what the escort is for."

"What's being screened?" Junmyeon turned to look at Xiumin.

"It's sort of a group evaluation of sorts. It's to make sure there aren't any double agents or moles within the teams of the agency."

"Did we not already go through that three missions back?" Chen tapped his fingers on his armrest. He still remembered the last screening their team had gone through. Each of them had been put in separate rooms with senior agents had gone through multiple rounds of questioning. It had been mentally taxing on all of them, most of all on Kai, who had never gone through such questioning before.

"I hope not." Baekhyun muttered his eyes sliding towards Junmyeon, who was behind Xiumin. "We would have to do a lot of explaining. Especially you, Xiumin."

Xiumin shook his head. "We'll be fine. I have no idea why K is having us escorted, but it's going to happen and we all should know. He said the agents will explain what is happening on our way back to H.Q, so there's nothing to worry about."

" _Yet_." Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at Xiumin. "We have no idea what is going on. _You_ have no idea either. If we end up being screened..." He trailed off, a knowing look passed between him and Kai before they looked at their team leader.

"We'll be fine." Xiumin reassured the others. "Let's all just enjoy our flight."

They all settled back into their seats as the flight attendant came to by to tell them to prepare for take off. Junmyeon pulled out his laptop, deciding that he would work on breaking the Phantom program Chen had copied onto a USB drive at the hotel. He was interested in the program and liked the challenge it posed. He didn't feel sleepy yet, so he decided he could spend his time checking Phantom out. Baekhyun had tugged on a sleeping mask, insisting he needed his beauty sleep, while Chen and Kai had started watching a movie on the mini-screens in front of them. 

Xiumin ran a hand through his hair, lost in thought as he looked over the mission briefing file again. He hoped that the mission succeeded without any of his teammates (now including his own little brother) getting hurt. He couldn't help but wonder why K was having them escorted. Was it really a screening like Baekhyun had suggested? If so, he would be under intense scrutiny for involving a civilian, meaning Junmyeon, in an agency assigned mission. There was more on the line now for Xiumin, and it was worrying. Sighing one last time, Xiumin rubbed his eyes and closed the briefing file in front of him. He would dwell on everything later. For now, all he wanted was to sleep. 

\---

Everything was grey.

The streets were hauntingly familiar. All of them were whispering old ghosts of a life he barely remembered living. As he walked he caught a glimpse of the old preschool he used to attend. Then the neighborhood playground and the old corner store he had often stopped by to get snacks. None of them mattered at the moment. None of them were worth anything, at least not anymore.

Baekhyun stopped in front of an old house. The gate swung open with an aching groan, a grim welcome to its old owner. Its front garden had been left unattended for years. What had once been the pride of a woman Baekhyun had loved with all his heart, was nothing more than a monsterous overgrown disaster. The large chrysanthemums and gladiolus looked nothing more, but like weeds. Their bright colors and vibrancy a mockery of the horrors that had occurred in the house. 

He knew this place like the back of his hand. It was where his life had began and where it had ended. Byun Baekhyun wasn't alive. At least not to the world. He had died fifteen years ago under the old cherry blossom tree in the backyard of his mother's house. His death had been cruel and clean. A bullet straight through his heart. 

It was odd however. As Baekhyun climbed up the old steps, he could hear humming. A tune only one person could have sang. Tentatively standing in front of the door, Baekhyun reached out, letting his fingertips brush over the cold brass door knob. Then he turned it.

It was as if someone had dumped a pint of paint in front of Baekhyun's eyes. The house came to life. The old crumbling walls becoming new and smooth. The stairs Baekhyun had run up and down on were no longer broken and faded, they correct themselves just as a clean carpet adorned the new polished wooden floor beneath his feet.

"Baekhyun! Baekhyun where are you?"

Right before his eyes, Baekhyun watched his mother step out of the kitchen. Her hair was down, loosely pulled back and held in place with the red ribbon she loved, just as it had always been. She was wearing the old "Kiss the Cook" apron, with faded jeans and an old white sweater. He watched in silent shock as his mother walked past him, heading straight for the living room.

"Mom?" He whispered. 

She was beautiful, just has she had been then. The smile on her lips filled with love and joy. The kind that Baekhyun hadn't felt in years.

She didn't hear him, continuing down the hallway. Baekhyun followed quickly not wanting to lose sight of her.

"Baekhyun where are you?" His mother chuckled as she stopped in front of a lump under a large blanket in the center of the room.

"Here!" A tiny voice yelled.

Out from under the blanket burst little Baekhyun with hands outstretched to his mother, squealing with pure joy as she picked him up.

Baekhyun watched as his younger self giggled in his mother's arms, shrieking with joy when his mother pressed a soft kiss to the top of his forehead. He missed her. More than anything in the world. Baekhyun felt his throat get scratchy as he reached a shaky hand out to the image before him. If he could just have one moment with her, just one more day, it would be enough for him. Just as his fingertips brushed his mother's shoulder the entire scene changed.

Suddenly his was outside, right under the cherry tree.

"Baekhyun?" His mother called out from inside the house. "Baekhyun where are you?"

Then Baekhyun saw _him_. _He_ stood just beside the back door with a gun in his hand. Waiting. 

Panic began to set in. He could barely breathe. Baekhyun tried to force himself to move, but he couldn't. His feet were rooted to the ground, just as they had been _then_.

Baekhyun could hear his mother coming. He could hear her footsteps. Then the back door handle turned, in torturing slow motion. 

_No. No, no, no, no, no!_

Baekhyun turned to look at the waiting man, begging him not to do what he had done so many times before. The gaze he got back was devoid of mercy, dark eyes stared back, the other man's hands thumbing the safety on the gun.

Click.

Baekhyun watched as his mother pushed the door back, her eyes only on him, completely oblivious to her own looming death. She smiled just as she had when she used to hind him hiding under the big blanket in the middle of the living room. And Baekhyun knows what will happen as he turns to look at her. He knows no matter how loud he screams, how many times he tells her not to come closer, she will die. There is no time to cover his eyes, even though he knows how it ends. There is no time to turn away. He must watch it happen, just as he had watched it before.

"There you are Baek---."

 _Bang_.

 _Bang_.

 _Bang_.

Baekhyun screamed as his mother fell with the reddest of roses blooming on her chest. Her eyes are empty, just like the holes in her body and her skin is cold to the touch. Bakehyun cradles her to his chest, hot tears streaming down his face as he calls her over and over. The man stands over them, silent and cruel. Then the man is gone and the gun is in Baekhyun's hands. It's cold deadly steel warmed by Baekhyun's own blood covered hands. Blood from his own mother.

His hand shook violently with the gun, as he stared at his mother's body beneath him, her blood pooling crimson and thick around her. The old white sweater his mother loved, was now bathed in her blood and his misery. Baekhyun thinks he's going to be sick. 

Suddenly cold lips brush against his ears, leaving Baekhyun shivering in their wake and then a gloved hand with a vise like grip, grasps his shoulder.

 _"You killed her. You monster."_ The voice whispers.

It's _him_. Baekhyun knows it, but he's too afraid to turn around and look him in the eye.

He couldn't take it. He couldn't bare it. It's all too much.

With one last tear running down his face, Baekhyun lifts the gun to his head.

He closes his eyes. 

Then he pulls the trigger.

_Bang._

"Baekhyun!" A voice hissed in the darkness. "Baekhyun wake up!"

Baekhyun bolted forward, instantly pulling the thin ceramic scalpel he had hidden up his sleeve on the owner of the voice. Chen doesn't flinch, merely pushing the sharp knife point away from his throat with a careful finger as he watches Baekhyun's nerves settle. He glances over to Kai who is fast asleep beside him, before turning back to look at Baekhyun.

"Sorry." Baekhyun murmured as he tucked the blade back into his sleeve. His cheeks feel wet and Baekhyun wipes at them quickly with the back of his hand.

"Is it that nightmare again?" Chen's voice is barely audible over the sound of the plane's engine.

"I'm okay--- I'm fine. I swear." Baekhyun ducked under Chen's knowing gaze, hoping his friend can't see the way his pupils are shaking.

Chen gently patted Baekhyun's back. "I'm here if you need anything."

Baekhyun dragged a hand down his face desperately trying to push away the ugly memories that had surfaced.

He hoped the mission would end quickly, for the sake of his own sanity.

He didn't know what he would do if he saw _him_ again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! \\(*¯︶¯*)/ 
> 
> So, this chapter was a bit of a long one (probably one of my longest). But it's done!
> 
> I decided to update today, so please enjoy. I'm working on the next chapter, so it may or may not be some time before the chapter 14. School's out so, I'm planning on writing my summer away. This chapter had a nice little emotional scene with Junmyeon and Xiumin. I first I wanted Junmyeon to be uber excited about his older brother being a secret agent, but then I was like: _who in the world likes being lied to?!_. So I made Junmyeon kinda mad/kinda disappointed that Minseok hid everything from him. 
> 
> This chapter does get pretty dark at the end. I want to sincerely apologize to any of you readers, if it was triggering in any possible way, shape, or form. 
> 
> I decided to give a little insight into Baekhyun's past, why he's now an agent and yeah... that's basically what went down (more will be revealed later! I pinkie promise!). I just want all readers to know that not all the members of team Exo have a happy past. Baekhyun's past is a nasty one and it does get worse from there. Going back to Seoul H.Q. is going to bring back memories for the Baekhyun and the mission will bring out memories for other members of the team. 
> 
> On a much lighter note... I would like to thank you all for reading this fic, thus far. Seeing the comments, kudos, and hits when I open this fic is really inspiring. I'm not counting closely or anything like that, but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm really thankful to those who have chosen to read this fic.
> 
> Let me know what you think of the story so far! I like reading and responding to comments. Right a whole paragraph if you want!! I'll read it and probably respond with a paragraph of my own!
> 
> See you next chapter! ~ヾ(・ω・)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did any of you see @Jisoothumbs new video on YouTube?! It's called The Cube. I swear she's read the plot I've written for the Diamond Race and a possible sequel. Jk, I doubt she's read my plot, but we have pretty similar ideas. Go check out her video! It's really well done. The link is in the end note of this chapter. I want to give credit to @Jenniefan9611 to giving me the link to the video.

07:00 Busan, South Korea 35.1796° N, 129.0756° E

"Jisoo, your poisoning was _so sloppy_."

Lisa tossed the newest issue of Korea Daily onto Jisoo's lap. The newspaper displayed an announcement of the death of a CEO's son, by the name of Park Haeil, killed by poisoning. The elder remained unfazed by Lisa's provocation, continuing to sip her Millennium tea as she waited for the store clerk to return with her new custom made dress.

"You cleaned it up, yes?" Jisoo replied coolly. 

Lisa waltzed around the waiting area, playfully dragging her fingers over the dresses on a rack that Jisoo had turned down. She then stepped on the mini pedestal in the center of the room, and twirled around childishly on it, before hopping off it and skipping towards Jisoo.

"Maybe."

" _Lisa_."

"What can I say?" Lisa stopped in front of Jisoo with a smirk. She tossed herself onto the red leather couch just beside Jisoo, humming an odd tune. "I did, but you left such a mess. I mean, come on. Did you _really_ have to make out with him? Oh! Quick question, was that _before_ , or _after_ you poisoned him, hm?"

" _Lisa_!" Jisoo set her tea cup down with a loud "clink", her eyes flashing in irritation. The younger chuckled at Jisoo's discomfort with the topic.

"Alright, alright, gosh. Keep your hair on." Lisa muttered. "Anyway, I had to edit all the surveillance footage and contact our friends in the Seoul PD to fix the case. But, guess what?"

"What?" Jisoo glared at Lisa, only wanting the other to quickly divulge the truth she seemed so eager to share.

"Don't entertain Lisa's games." Jennie cut through their conversation as she and Rosé entered the waiting area. They were finally back from another meeting. Jisoo had decided not to meet their client directly this time, and had sent Jennie and Rosé in her stead. Much to Jennie's discontent.

Lisa pouted at Jennie. "You are such a buzzkill."

"Only within reason." Jennie winked as she joined Lisa on the couch while Rosé sat beside Jisoo.

"Well? How did it go?" Jisoo set her expectant gaze on Jennie and Rosé.

"How did what go?" Rosé teased.

"Did you get us more clients?"

"Yes. We even have some international clients as well." Jennie grinned. The race they were setting up was turning out well. Interested international clients and bidders were coming in from Brazil, the Bahamas, the United States, Morocco, South Africa, Moscow, Hong Kong, Italy, and even France. The entire game was coming together nicely, and Jennie could practically see the money right in front of her. The heist was bound to be a great pay off and she could barely wait.

"How soon can they be here?" Jisoo quickly pulled up a schedule app on her phone. She figured their "guests" would need a place to stay during before the race began, so she needed to make arrangements for them in advance.

"Most of them will touch down in Seoul a week from now. Just before the race. They don't want to draw too much attention to themselves by showing up early." Rosé replied. 

"Any ideas where we're hosting?" Lisa fished a lollipop out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth as she watched Jisoo tap away on her phone. "The last place we hosted was sick. The Villa in Miami Beach was awesome."

"We didn't host that one on our own." Jennie shook her head. "It was a partnership."

"But still." Lisa laughed around the lollipop. "It was one of the best places we've ever stayed."

"True." Rosé nodded. "Definitely high class. Good food too."

"Food?" Jennie rolled her eyes at Rosé. "Is that the only thing that drives you?"

"Isn't that the only thing that drives anyone?" Rosé laughed.

"That and money." Lisa chirped. "Speaking from my own experiences."

"Sex too." Rosé added with a knowing smirk.

"Whoa. Who's here for the _horizontal_?" Lisa shot up out of her laid back slouch, eager for any sort of gossip.

"Don't know. Don't care." Jennie shrugged. "Probably our clients. Yeah, definitely our clients."

"The Hilton Hotel here in Busan." Jisoo announced, changing the topic of the conversation. 

"The Hilton?" Jennie arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that one of the newest hotels around here?"

"It's located just east of Busan and it's only minutes away from the Haeundae district. It also has a beachfront."

"Nice." Lisa grinned. 

"Won't booking the place cost a fortune?" Jennie found it odd that Jisoo wasn't fazed at all. The elder typically had a firm hand on their finances and rarely spent money without reason.

"I have a friend who can get us full control of the Hilton, without costing us too much." Jisoo replied. "We're going to need a place good enough to show our clients that we respect their presence and well controlled so no one can tip the police off about anything."

"What about the people already at the hotel?" Rosé asked. She was doubtful that the Hilton would be completely available.

"We can get them cleared out." Jisoo answered. "I'll have my friend handle it."

"Miss Jisoo Kim?" The store clerk called out. She was back with Jisoo's new dress being carried by another employee behind her.

"Yes?"

"Your dress is ready for you to try on."

"Whoo! Try it on!" Lisa cheered. "Is this the one you're where to our little intro event?"

Jisoo shrugged and set down her tea as she left to change into her dress. "Maybe, but we also have that little event to go to. We still have lots of things to settle."

"Speaking of settling things," Lisa turned to Rosé. "How are the cars coming along?"

Rosé hummed in thought. "I'm going to have to check on that."

"Why don't you just go over and ask?"

"You know Virus doesn't like being bothered while he's working." Rosé took Jisoo's tea, sipping it slightly before frowning then adding two cubes of sugar.

"He doesn't like being bothered, or you don't want to see him." Lisa pried. 

"Both." Rosé replied. "He's a weird one."

"Aren't you two friends? He did make the cube for us in Paris."

"He only made the cube because he owes me a couple favors. Plus we had to pay him a shit ton of money."

"How long before they're finished?" Jennie looked at Rosé over her nails.

"I'd have to ask him."

"Then ask."

"I will Jennie. Relax. He's one of our best. He knows what he's doing."

"Right." Jennie muttered. "Trust the guy that enjoys blowing stuff up."

"When has he failed us?" Rosé challenged.

"He hasn't. At least not _yet_. I think should pay him a visit since you're too chicken to."

"Oho!" Lisa snickered as she watched Rosé and Jennie.

"Go ahead. Seoul is like a five hour drive from here. Do you really want to drive that far? Suit yourself." Rosé leaned back into the couch, tipping her head back to look at the high ceiling of the waiting room. "Don't get mad when you end up with motor oil in your hair or anything like last time when we went to see him."

Jennie rolled her eyes. "Lisa c'mon."

"Why me?" She whined kicking her feet onto the table.

"Because I need someone as crazy as Virus to keep things sane."

"That barely makes any sense." Lisa muttered. "And I'm not crazy."

"The burning bridge back in Beijing ring any bells?" Rosé arched an eyebrow at the youngest member of their group.

"It was one time. Besides it helped us get away from that nasty gang." Lisa whined. "I swear you guys hold everything I do against me."

Jennie and Rosé laughed as Lisa pouted. 

\---

"Virus!" 

Jennie pounded her fist against the large iron gates of the junkyard compound. She had rang the bell about ten times before knocking on the iron gates. Virus's lack of response was wearing down on Jennie's last nerve. When he opened up, she swore she'd make him pay for keeping them outside for so long.

"If this little shit ---! I swear to God if he doesn't open the gates right now!"

Lisa leaned against the side of the gates in boredom. "He's clearly not going to open up Jennie. You're being impatient."

Jennie turned to look at Lisa's mopping form. "You should be helping me. This guy hasn't updated us on anything with the cars. We are going to need them soon."

As Jennie was scolded Lisa for her lack of involvement, Lisa spotted a lone figure walking down the street towards them, with a couple very full looking plastic bags in hand.

"Um, Jennie." Lisa pointed past Jennie's shoulder. "Who is that?"

Jennie turned to face the figure heading towards them. It turned out to be a rather thin young man. He had sickly pale skin. Tired eyes stared out at them from under matted mint green hair. He had thick bags hanging under his eyes, and a permanent looking scowl on his face. He wore an old sweater, too large for his boney frame with worn ripped jeans that showed his scabbed and bandage covered knees.

"Hey you!" Jennie called out to the man. 

"What the hell do you want?" He grumbled as he approached them.

Jennie blinked in surprise at the man's crude tone, but it was to be expected in a rotten place like this. 

"We're looking for the Virus. Any idea where he is?" Lisa asked

"Virus?" The man's eyes narrowed at them in suspicion as he licked at his busted bottom lip. "What do you want with him?"

"He's working on something for us. We came here to check on it." Jennie replied.

"He's not here right now."

"Why not?" Jennie snapped. 

"No clue." The man shrugged. "He comes and goes as he pleases. It's none of my business and I doubt it's any of yours."

Jennie's eyebrows rose as she stared the man down. He didn't flinch, merely looking back at her with cool indifference. Sensing her friend's steadily growing ire, Lisa stepped between Jennie and the young man.

"Thanks. If you see him, let him know that Blackpink was here. We want an update."

"Tell him yourselves, since you want him to know so badly." The man snapped. 

With that he stepped past them and continued down the road with his bags. Never looking back once.

"Wow, he was rude." Lisa muttered. 

Jennie narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Virus is MIA right now."

"We don't know that." Lisa frowned. "Maybe he's out eating or something."

"Virus never leaves this place unless he's completed a project.

"Well then maybe he's finished with our cars and he went out to relax. It's something I'd do." Lisa turned to back to the car. "Let's go back. Let Rosé handle him."

Jennie turned to look at the lone surveillance camera at the top of the iron gates. She glared at it for a moment.

"Virus if you're seeing this, you better respond when Rosé contacts you. We want the cars. Soon." With that, she turned and following Lisa back to the car.

\---

Virus watched from his laptop as the black KIA drove away with amusement. Jennie always did have a temper and he was quite fearful of her, but seeing her irritation had been funny. Pushing back his chair, he sighed and stretched. He was dying to eat something. Running a hand through his hair, he walked to the fridge in the lonely garage. Once he opened it, he was greeted by a lone expired carton of milk. Wrinkling his nose in disgust Virus tossed the carton out and grabbed his keys. He had been wanting to give one of Blackpink's cars a test ride, and figured a quick trip to a decent restaurant would be good enough.

After strapping in, Virus let his hands wander over the luxurious interior of the car he had altered. It was wonderfully crafted. Its black interior was just as polished as it was on the outside. Occasional splashes of deep indigo glittered on the dashboard, steering wheel, and on the gear stick. The seats were all rich black leather as well. As he started the car, it hummed to life with a low purr filled with power. Virus grinned wildly. The custom parts he had made were definitely working. The car's fuel gage and speedometer glowed a vibrant purple in the dark. Setting his hands on the steering wheel, Virus could feel the power the car held. Yup. This was definitely one of his best projects. 

The quiet of the neighborhood was instantly disrupted by the revving of the car as Virus sped out of the junkyard, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. It was afternoon now, and the streets in the city were bound to be packed. With a normal car, it would be hard to maneuver around other cars, but with this car, Virus knew it would be much faster and easier to move. Shifting gears, he pressed his foot on the gas completely ignoring the rising speedometer reading. 

Humming to himself, he glanced at the one neon blue button on the dashboard debating whether he should add the NOS brand nitrous kits he had installed in the engine. It would give the fuel additional oxygen which would allow the additional fuel to burn in order to create increased horsepower for short bursts of torque and speed. Just the thought of racing through midday Seoul gave Virus an adrenaline rush, but he decided against it. He would rather not encounter the police at all. It would draw the least desirable attention to himself. 

When he reached the restaurant, he turned heads. Virus smirked as he stepped out of the car, tossing the keys from hand to hand as he entered.

"Holy shit."

"Look at his car."

"How much do you think it costs?"

"Probably a fortune."

The whispered compliments made Virus's ego double in its already large size. He loved compliments, especially ones about his work. Virus hummed happily to himself as he sat down at one of the empty booths in the restaurant. He was just about to order when a slim figure slipped into the seat across from him.

"I thought I'd catch you here." Came a cool voice.

Virus looked up at Rosé, who sat across from him with her arms crossed.

"Chaeyoung," Her name felt heavy in his mouth. "It's been a while."

"For the last time, it's _Rosé_." 

There was a brief silence between them as they stared at each other, daring the other to look away. Virus looked away first, busying himself with the menu.

"Why are you here Rosé?" He tapped his fingers on the table as he waited for her answer.

"Why do you think?" Rosé glared. 

"Jennie and Lisa already paid me a visit."

"I doubt you let them in."

The small smile of satisfaction on Virus's face was confirmation enough.

"You're a creature of habit, aren't you?" Rosé mused. "Are the cars done?"

"They are, but they need testing."

"We can test them on our own."

"You wanted NOS fixtures in the cars. Do you even know how to race with NOS?"

Rosé arched an eyebrow at Virus. "Is that concern I hear in your voice?"

Virus snorted. "You known better than to assume that. Don't trash my name if you fuck up the cars in the race, just because you don't know how to drive with NOS."

Rosé pointed at the menu in Virus's hands. " Why don't we chat more over food?"

Virus shrugged and signaled the waitress who had been watching them with interest to come get their order.

"How has life been treating you?" Rosé asked Virus as the waitress left.

Virus tipped his head in amusement. "What does it matter to you?"

Rosé's eyes narrowed. "It doesn't, I'm just checking on Yoora."

Virus's face changed. Color drained from his face as he watched Rosé smirk. He had seen that same smirk before. It had been on her face the same night he had signed himself to her.

"Is she alright?" Rosé pressed.

"Why would you care?"

"I _always_ care about investments."

Virus looked down at his lap. His hands were shaking. Clenching them tightly, he forced his voice not to tremble. "She's doing well. She says she might even get promoted to the daily evening news."

Rosé nodded. "That's good. Your parents?"

"Fine. Viva La Polo is doing well. They're thinking of expanding the place."

"You mean adding another location?"

"No. They want to make the place a bit bigger to accommodate more people. A renovation of sorts." Virus replied.

He hated how he had to tell her so much about himself. Especially the parts about his family. But she knew, she had to, ever since the day he showed up during the night in the middle of the pouring rain, begging for help like a dying man to a devil. 

"What are you really here for Rosé?" 

"I can't just want to catch up for old times sake?" Rosé smiled at the waitress as she brought their food, then at Virus.

"You aren't the nostalgic type. That's Jisoo." 

Rosé wrinkled her nose at that. "Right, but I can be nostalgic when I want to be."

Virus stabbed at his food pitifully. His appetite was long gone. 

"I finished the cars, you can come pick them up when you're available."

"In a rush?" 

Virus set his chopsticks down. "Not at all."

"Then eat."

Virus watched silently as Rosé at her food, not picking his chopsticks once.

"I don't feel like it anymore."

Rosé smiled as she chewed. She knew that tone. The petulant child in Virus was beginning to rear its head. She realized she had overstayed her welcome. Setting the chopsticks down on the napkin beside her plate, Rosé took a sip of Virus's untouched cold soda.

"Well, you should eat. You look a little thin."

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Pretending you care. Pretending that you're interested. We both know where your heart really lies." Virus was glaring at Rosé as she watched him.

"Oh my." Rosé sneered. "Don't tell me you're still wounded over what happened back then?"

Virus bristled at that. Rosé watched as his hackles raised, she could see the muscles in his jaw twitch in irritation. She had really overstayed her welcome.

Raising a hand she signaled the waitress and paid for her meal. After the waitress had left, she stood.

"I'll see you around."

Virus didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on his now cold food in front of him, never meeting Rosé's eyes. Just as she was about to pass him, Rosé leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He flinched away and she could see the rage in his eyes. The shock and outrage pouring off of him was satisfactory. 

"Take care." She smirked as she left.

Rosé walked out of the restaurant leaving Virus fuming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! (((o(*°▽°*)o)) 
> 
> (*kicks down your door*)
> 
> Thank you for reading chapter 14 of The Diamond Race (can you believe it?!)! It's been about a week since the last update and I had some time to work on some outlining for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have introduced two new characters to the story. Yes! You guessed it! Virus and Mr. Mint green hair... remind you of a certain someone... anyone? I had fun writing this chapter. I debated including Virus so early in the story, but I figured I'd have a bit of fun putting him in a bit earlier. 
> 
> P.S. Do you know how much Millennium tea costs? That stuff is really expensive. I was researching all sorts of places food to have Jisoo eat in this chapter and I settled on tea and the most expensive tea in Korea is Millennium tea (only the best for lovely Jisoo). Look it up, it's low-key crazy, but the history behind it is really cool. The tea leaves come from a Millennium tree that lives up to about 1000 years old. Also the Hilton in Busan looks really cool. I looked at the pictures and I was totally blown away. Super expensive too, but it's nice to look at.
> 
> What do you think of Blackpink so far? What did you think of Rosé and Virus's interaction? Any guesses about the future plot?
> 
> Let me know what you thought about the chapter or the story so far in the comments! 
> 
> 'Til next time! \\(´｡• ᵕ •｡`)
> 
> BTW, here's the link: https://t.co/WeOTfP2RrQ


	15. Chapter 15

17:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Kai was restless. He shifted from foot to foot as they waited to pass airport security. His eyes flicked from person to person. The exhausted mother with two bickering kids. The security guard on his phone. The young couple chattering in Chinese about how excited they were to be in Seoul. All of them were the same. All of them were completely oblivious and Kai had once been like them. Completely caught up in his own world. He wasn't like that anymore and there were times Kai wished he was. Then again, there was a certain thrill being an agent gave him, that Kai wouldn't trade the world for.

"Excited?"

Kai turned to meet Chen's knowing grin.

"A bit." He tugged down his mask and smiled.

Chen rolled his eyes. "I know the one thing on your mind is the racing part of the mission."

"Who doesn't like racing?" Kai turned back to hand his passport to the gate attendant. "I think this mission will be fun."

"You say that every mission." Chen snorted.

"Well, this time, I mean it." Kai nudged the elder with his elbow, earning a lazy swat at his side.

"Alright, is everyone accounted for?" Xiumin walked towards them with his suitcase with Junmyeon trailing close behind him.

"We're all here, let's get going." Baekhyun bounced on the balls of his feet. His eyes were just as bright as the smile on his face.

Chen glanced at his friend. For someone who had been vehemently against setting foot in Seoul, Baekhyun looked awfully cheerful and energetic. Not to mention the little episode he had on their trip back. The haunted look in Baekhyun's eyes that time had Chen deeply concerned for the other.

“So, Junmyeon do you know what code name you want?” Baekhyun asked as he popped a lollipop into his mouth. His eyes were trained on poor Junmyeon like a bullseye.

“I did think about it during our flight. I like the name Suho.”

“Suho?” Baekhyun arched an eyebrow. “What kind of name is that?”

“It means guardian, like a protector of sorts. One for justice.”

Xiumin didn’t laugh while Kai, Chen, and Baekhyun did.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“We’re not guardians of anything Suho.” Chen chuckled. “We are definitely not superheroes.”

“It’s a good name.” Xiumin sent knife like glare at the others that sobered them up quickly.

Junmyeon preened at that. He looked down shyly at his shoes.

“I thought so too.”

"You'll go by agent Suho now." Xiumin replied. "Tell no one about your real name. Understand?"

Junmyeon nodded. He was no longer Kim Junmyeon, technology and engineering grad student. He was agent Suho.

"So any ideas as to where our so called escort is?" Baekhyun looked left and right. "I thought you said they would be here."

Xiumin shook his head. "We don't need to find them. They'll find us."

"Correct as always Xiumin." Came a light chuckle from behind them.

Walking towards them were two men in black suits. One was slightly shorter than the other. He had a kind dimpled smile on his face. The taller man beside him gave them all a cool once over. He didn't look nearly as kind as the other man. He had a stoic face and an unfriendly aura. His eyes met Kai's and Kai could instantly tell that they weren't going to get along at all.

Xiumin's eyes widened in surprise. "Agent Lay?"

"In the flesh. It's been a while, hasn't it?" The shorter agent laughed as he pulled Xiumin into a tight hug.

Chen, Baekhyun, Kai, and Suho all glanced at each other. None of them made a move to introduce themselves.

"Hello. I am Lay. The grump beside me is agent Sehun."

Agent Sehun was even taller than Kai. He had stark silver dyed hair. His narrow eyes were sharp and there seems to be a permanent scowl on his face, but it did nothing but compliment his face. He was startlingly handsome, with his sharp jaw and broad shoulders. Sehun didn't even bother to acknowledge them until Lay not so subtly stepped on his foot.

"Nice to meet you." Sehun muttered flatly.

Xiumin nodded. "Nice to meet you too. Beside me are agents Baekhyun, Chen, Kai, and Suho."

Lay arched an eyebrow at Chen's name.

"Ah, agent Chen, you were in training the last time I saw you." The smile on Lay's face wasn't genuine any more. The was faux kindness laced in his words.

"Well, I'm here now." Chen matched Lay's tone with his own. Tension cracked in the air between the two agents as the others watched with surprise, confusion, and interest.

"Tell me, do you still have a penchant for testing your team leaders?" Lay tipped his head.

"That's none of your business." Chen smiled saccharinely.

Agent Lay had been the one to evaluate Chen before he had become an official agent and there was no love lost between the two. Lay was very much like Xiumin. He was always resistant to Chen's attempts to get under his skin. The only difference between him and Xiumin, was that Lay always returned with a jab of his own at Chen. For every one of Chen's acts of defiance, Lay managed to crack down on Chen with more fury than a raging bull. And Chen had hated him for it. Still did actually.

"It will be, considering the fact that we will be joining you on your mission to retrieve the Aetherius Aurora." Lay replied coolly.

"What?" Xiumin blurted. "When was this?"

Lay turned back to Xiumin. "K reassigned us to work with you. Turns out he thought you might need a helping hand with Blackpink."

Baekhyun frowned. "We're only retrieving a diamond. Why would we need extra help?"

"Blackpink is working with a crime syndicate in Busan to hold the race. Not only that, but they may have international buyers interested in the Aetherius Aurora. Busan will be filled up to its highest steeple with criminals a week from now. Trust me, you'll need the help." Lay looked at each of them, before his eyes settled on Suho.

"I've never seen you around the agency before." He stepped towards Suho in curiosity. "Are you new?"

Suho panicked. Had he already been found out? As if on instinct Kai, Baekhyun, and Chen stepped closer to Suho, shielding him from Lay's intense eyes. Xiumin gave his fellow teammates a look of gratitude. 

"Suho is new." Xiumin answered. "He met us in Paris while we were gathering intel at the bank Blackpink broke into. He's here to help us with tracking Blackpink."

Lay's eyes narrowed briefly before he shrugged. "Well, I suppose we should get going then."

Behind Xiumin, the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.

\---

“Welcome to headquarters.” Baekhyun smirked they entered an old rundown factory.

“Headquarters? You guys work in a dump?” Suho turned to look at Xiumin in disbelief as Chen and Baekhyun snickered from behind him.

Whenever he saw spy movies, they always had clean state of the art advanced technology. The buildings were pristine and completely undetectable by everyday people. It never looked anything like this. Years of dirt and grime covered every surface. Torn plastic coverings hung uselessly from windows and old machines. Every now and then, Suho could spot a mouse or two, flinting around in the shadows. The air in the building was stale and sour, and the occasional smell of rot made Suho want to puke.

“Oh, ye of little faith.” Chen chuckled. “There’s more to this place than meets the eye.”

Suho wrinkled his nose.

“Really? All I see is dust, broken machines, and mice.”

“You know pests. They never leave.” Xiumin replied smoothly. “Come, here’s the entrance.”

They all walked towards a large dilapidated elevator. Suho glanced nervously at his brother. Did he really think Suho was going to step foot in there, did he?

Xiumin pulled an old plastic covering off a surprisingly polished looking touchpad beside the elevator and pressed his hand against it. Light flashed from the pad beneath his palm.

A robotic voice echoed throughout the factory, startling Suho, much to Chen and Baekhyun’s amusement.

“Recognized: Agent Xiumin. Number 0-9-9. Access granted.”

There was a sudden rumble as the elevator began working. Its long iron cables began moving, turning the gears above them as it pulled the elevator up to their level.

“This does not look safe in any way, shape or fo---.”

“Relax and get in.” Baekhyun shoved Suho into the elevator while the others snickered at Suho’s unease.

“What if this elevator fails?”

“It won’t.”

“How can you be so sure? With how old this place is and all the rust, grime, and dust, this thing can kill us.”

“I’ve used this elevator many times, M--Suho. You’re safe.” Xiumin caught his slip before his brother's real name was out of his mouth.

Lay watched closely as Xiumin patted Suho on the back. He had never heard of agent Suho before. Not only that, but when he checked the agency's database while they were heading over, he couldn't find his profile anywhere. That meant Suho was an unregistered agent. As Lay watched Suho, Chen stepped into his line of sight. Chen's eyes narrowed in an unspoken challenge, daring Lay to say something. Lay let a small smile slip onto his face as Chen continued glaring at him. This was bound to be an interesting mission.

Sehun stepped closer to Lay, glaring at Chen as well. Soon enough, Kai had joined the staring contest as well, silently sizing Sehun up. The tension in the small elevator was thick and nearly suffocating. Lay gently nudged Sehun, reassuring the younger that he was fine. Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Suho on the other hand remained oblivious to the storm brewing over their heads.

“Having second thoughts?” Baekhyun teased Suho as the doors closed. “You can always get on a plane back, no one is going to stop you.”

Suho steeled himself. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

The last thing he wanted was to look like a chicken to the other agents. Especially agent Lay, who kept watching him. He made Suho feeling like a mouse. Where Sehun was striking, Lay was soft, however Suho had a feeling it was all a front. Lay had slightly downturned eyes which made him look as though he was always pleasantly surprised, kind even. But there was an edge to his gaze, like he was slowly analyzing him.

“What level?” Kai pointed at the buttons drawing Suho out of his thoughts. He noticed there was a letter before most of the numbers. S1, S2, S3, and so on.

“Sub-level three. We need to get Suho registered.” Xiumin replied.

Kai nodded, pressing the button.

The elevator let off a loud ding, which announced their arrival to sub-level three. The door of the elevator opened and they stepped out into a brightly lit hallway.

“Welcome to the _real_ headquarters, Suho.” Chen grinned.

The walls were made of see-through glass and so was the floor. Below them, Suho could see people in suits and combat gear talking at desks, some leaning over maps, others at computers. He could also see large and small planes, motorcycles, and cars. There were even mopeds.

“Wow.” Suho breathed.

It was amazing to him. He could see hologram simulations and technology. This out of movies. They walked past a group of people trying out hoverboards. Not the kind with wheels. These didn’t touch the ground, instead they levitated without any aid.

“Amazing isn’t it?” Baekhyun chuckled.

There was something infectious about Suho’s awe and amazement. It made Baekhyun feel happy for some odd reason. The elder continued turning left and right, not wanting to miss a single thing. It reminded Baekhyun of a young child, and the thought made him laugh. In a sense, Suho was a young child. He was completely and utterly new to this entire side of the world. His naivety made Baekhyun happy, just as much as it made him feel horribly sad. He knew that soon enough, that smile would change. It would become robotic, it would never reach his eyes again, and if it did, it would be brief. Suho was going to see the worst humanity had to offer, and that alone made Baekhyun understand why Xiumin had tried to shield his brother from the truth.

“This is so cool!” Suho turned to Xiumin in excitement. His body practically vibrated with joy, his cheeks flushed pleasantly. “I wish I knew about this sooner!”

Xiumin have his brother a small smile.

“Let’s get you to our section, then we can fit you for gear, and you can get a tour.”

Sehun and Lay trailed behind the other agents as they headed towards the meeting rooms.

"So, what do you think?" Lay whispered to Sehun.

Sehun frowned. "D.O said we're working with them now right? I would like to test them out a bit."

"Test them out?" Lay leaned back from Sehun in surprise. "Why?"

"D.O told me that Kai is one of the agency's best in hand to hand combat."

Lay shook his head. "Don't even think about it."

Sehun stopped and turned to the other. "What? You think I can't handle him?"

Lay tapped his forefinger on his bottom lip. He knew exactly what was going on.

_D.O, you clever bastard._

D.O had recently confided in him that he had been given the task of evaluating Kai, since the young agent had never been vetted. Instead of encountering Kai during the mission and staying close by him, D.O was going to use Sehun to test Kai's physicality first. Pitting two of the best hand to hand combat specialists against one another, would be an easy way for D.O to figure out Kai weaknesses.

"It's not that. We are going to be a team. You don't want to be hating each other's guts the entire time."

Sehun rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind a little one on one sparring."

"Are you guys coming or what?" Baekhyun called from farther up the hall. The other agents stood at the door to their team living quarters looking back at them expectantly.

"Of course."

\---

Making their way past the surveillance room in the living quarters, they entered a much quieter, but equally large room. It was well lit, with a few desks and a large screen at the end of the room. There was an array of weaponry on the other side of the wall. Guns, knives, grenades, rocket launchers, hatchets, batons, and other things Suho had yet to figure out what they were.

“Home sweet home.” Kai sighed as he threw his bag onto one of the empty chairs. Chen and Baekhyun joined him, dropping their bags at the other desks and sighing in relief.

“Hey, where’s D.O?” Lay murmured. “I thought he would be here by now.”

Baekhyun stiffened at the name. He stopped his chatting with Chen, his face becoming stony.

“Agent D.O? He's on this mission as well?” Baekhyun's eyes bored into Lay who didn't looked fazed at the other's reaction at all. “When?”

"D.O, Sehun, and I have been working as a unit for a while now. I told you at the airport, we were reassigned to this mission."

"We don't need him." Baekhyun seethed.

Chen moved towards Baekhyun slowly, ready to take him out of the room so he could calm down.

“I highly doubt that.” Lay frowned. “I understand that you and D.O have a past, but this is a mission, we have to work together.”

“It’s just getting a diamond back for God’s sake.”

“The Aetherius Aurora is an extremely valuable diamond. Blackpink is a very dangerous gang and they need to be stopped before they sell it. We need all hands on deck.” Xiumin argued.

Sehun watched quietly from his seat. He wondered what D.O had to do with the pink haired weirdo.

“Over my dead body! I do not want to work with D.O, I’d rather ---!”

“You’d rather what?” A dangerously soft voice whispered in Baekhyun’s ear. Baekhyun jumped a foot in the air, quickly stumbling away from the man behind the voice.

There was a glint of malicious amusement in the eyes of the man before them. He was around Baekhyun’s height, with his pitch black hair in a Caesar style haircut. He wore an all black suit, with a black turtleneck underneath. His rather round eyes were offset by his thick eyebrows and the bags he had under his eyes. It gave him a creepy look. Like some sort of super villain come to life.

“If you were going to say something along the lines of going to _fuck_ yourself, you are quite welcome to do so.” D.O spoke coldly.

“You!” Baekhyun’s nostrils flared in rage. Before he could land a punch in the other man's face, Chen was pulling him away.

D.O turned towards Xiumin, bowing his head slightly.

“Agent Xiumin, it’s good to see you.”

“Likewise.” Xiumin replied. It had been a long time since he had seen the other. He had completed his agency training alongside D.O as well as Lay.

D.O’s eyes turned to Suho, his gaze so indifferent, he seemed bored.

“You must be agent Suho.” D.O strode over. “I hope you’re as good as you _think_ you are.”

Suho gulped and nodded quickly. Despite them being relatively the same height, D.O was like a giant. His presence carried a heavy aura of fear. There was something behind his eyes that made Suho want to run from him and hide behind his brother.

“So, what is the status of our investigation?” D.O turned back to Xiumin, completely dismissing Suho’s presence.

“Our investigation? This has nothing to do with you!” Baekhyun yelled.

“This is a full team mission, Baekhyun.” Xiumin argued. “The agency wanted us all on this.”

“For a diamond?”

“It’s more than that.” Lay chimed in. “Interpol as well as several countries have charges against Blackpink. These girls are seasoned criminals, they need to be brought in. Plus there is reason to believe that they are assembling a sort of auction to sell the diamond in Busan. Some of the world’s most well known criminals might be there.”

“That doesn’t explain why we need him.” Baekhyun jabbed a finger in D.O’s direction.

“Baekhyun.” Xiumin sent a warning look at his fuming teammate. “That’s enough.”

Baekhyun’s lips pulled into an ugly sneer, as he yanked himself out of Chen’s hold before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him with irritation. Silence filled the room in his absence. 

Suho glanced at Kai for an explanation. The only reaction he got was a simple, “So he is the reason Baekhyun didn’t want to return to Seoul.”

Suho then turned to Chen who merely shook his head, warning him silently against pursuing the topic.

\---

D.O had pulled Xiumin away was speaking to him in a hushed low tone, his eyes occasionally flitting from Suho to Kai and then back to Xiumin.

"What is it?" Xiumin asked D.O.

"I wanted to let you know that I will be evaluating Kai during this mission." D.O spoke softly.

At that, Xiumin's blood ran cold.

"What?" Xiumin stared at D.O.

"K asked me to keep an eye on him." D.O supplied. "Why didn't you put him through an evaluation when he first came to the agency?"

"He was a _child_ , D.O!" Xiumin hissed. "You think I would put a kid through an agency evaluation?"

"He came here when he was fifteen. He could have easily gone through one." D.O replied as he folded his arms over his chest.

Xiumin shook his head. "You didn't see what he was going through then. He was better off without an evaluation."

"And that brings us to where we are now." D.O sighed. "I just wanted to let you know since you were his mentor."

Xiumin glanced at Kai who was busy talking to Suho.

"Don't do to him, what you did to Baekhyun." Xiumin warned D.O. "I won't forgive you if you do."

D.O flinched at Baekhyun's name being mentioned. He narrowed his eyes at Xiumin.

"I did _nothing_ to him." D.O spat.

_How dare he. How dare he blame him for that day._

"I know it's all an act. You pretending to hate him back, but what you did, what it did to him," Xiumin whispered. "I can't let that happen to Kai."

D.O stepped back slightly from Xiumin, his head was spinning. Flashes of the past he had tried to force from his mind crawled back up.

_Baekhyun was sobbing. His hands were stained with blood as he clutched her dead corpse._

_"Why?" Baekhyun screamed as he turned to look at D.O. "Why would you do this?"_

_D.O couldn't find it in himself to care. This was a lesson, plain and simple. An evaluation. Baekhyun needed to learn. This like this happened. They could be preventable, but they happened nonetheless._

_"Baekhyun, that is what happens when you don't cover your tracks. See?"_

"Well, it's not good to repeat the past, right?" D.O swallowed slowly. "Hopefully he doesn't make the same mistake Baekhyun did."

Xiumin nodded. "It's never good to repeat the past."

\---

Some people are born into tragedy.

Some people like Byun Baekhyun.

He couldn't believe that he was back in Seoul, back to working beside one of the people he hated most. One look at D.O and Baekhyun had wanted to commit bloody murder. Right there in front of everyone. After Xiumin had warned him, he had left the meeting room, then fled the agency building. He couldn't bare the thought of being in the same place as D.O.

It was near evening time now, and all the couples were out, leisurely walking in the city streets, heading out to eat or watch movies. Baekhyun stood in the center of them, lost like a leaf in the wind. Seoul was beautiful, just as she had always been. But Seoul was cruel. Baekhyun knew the city well, it was like a coin. One side shone brighter than gold, while the other was rusted, coated in grime and filth. 

He walked quickly down the street, looking for the nearest bar, club, anywhere he could get a strong drink. Baekhyun spotted a decent looking bar and walked in, ignoring the funny looks people gave him as he stormed towards the bar.

"Give me your strongest drink." Baekhyun ordered the bartender sharply. 

He tossed a couple bills on the counter to pay in advance for the additional drinks he would have. All the memories were flooding Baekhyun's mind and he was scared. He didn't want to look at the past, but deep down he knew he would always have to look back. Seoul was his Pandora's box. It held all the worst memories for him. And maybe, somewhere in there, it also held hope. The city had shown Baekhyun tragedy, more than anything else. Being in Seoul was like breathing in oxygen laced with poison. It kept you happy and delirious until it would kill you with its bare hands. For Baekhyun however, the moment he had been born, he had been marked for death. Marked for tragedy.

That was Baekhyun's first tragedy. 

Baekhyun tossed back the first shot he got his hands on and quickly grabbed the next. His hands shook slightly as he gripped the small glass, but he willed the tremors away. 

His mother, Byun Boyoung had been the mistress of a high profile CEO when she found out she was pregnant with Baekhyun. His father had wanted him dead immediately. Considering how conservative his father's family was, the firstborn son of the CEO would be the heir to the largest bank in South Korea. His father's legal wife hadn't yet conceived and Baekhyun's birth had easily caused issues within the family. His mother refused to abort him and that had begun the end of her relationship with Baekhyun's father. Fearing that the CEO might try to kill her and her son, Boyoung had left Seoul before giving birth to Baekhyun and had then fled to his grandmother's home. She had raised him quietly outside of Seoul in order to hide him from his father.

Baekhyun had only been ten years old when he had first met his father. At that time, he did not know what his father would do to his mother. As it turned out, his mother had been correct. His father wanted them both dead. His father had used him to find his mother and then, he had sent a hitman to kill them both. The hitman had waited in the backyard of their home for them. Baekhyun hadn't noticed him until his mother lay in a pool of her own blood. The hitman had taunted Baekhyun before he had tried to kill him. He told him the truth about his father. He was going to kill Baekhyun was well, but Baekhyun had managed to escape after hurling a brick at the man's face.

That was the second tragedy of Baekhyun's life.

Baekhyun had fled to the very city his mother had run from, and practically everywhere Baekhyun looked, he could see his despicable father's face. In the city he was no one, he was nothing. The hatred for his father was unquenchable, unconquerable. Nothing in the world could have please Baekhyun more than to put a knife through his father's heart. But he was no one, so Baekhyun had to learn how to steal and lie for a living. He pretended he was older than his actual age, which had been hard to do with his limited height. It was years later on a cold winter night, that Baekhyun had met Chen then, a fellow homeless kid. 

Baekhyun had seen him sleeping at a bus stop and had decided to steal his wallet. Chen had caught Baekhyun before he could even put his hand on him. In Chen, Baekhyun had found a life long friend. It was the two of them against the world. It was the two of them against their nightmares. To survive the harsh city, the two of them ended up becoming part of a gang. The gang had been a sort of odd family for them. They were all kids, fighting to survive in the harsh world, but the only one Baekhyun ever let have his back was Chen. They stole what they could and did odd jobs around the city to eat. 

Baekhyun begun to dream about his future for the first time in a long time with Chen. The two of them saved what they could and ended up renting an apartment on the lower side of Seoul. It was a shit hole of an apartment, but it was their shit hole and that was all that mattered. Baekhyun had discovered Chen had an amazing voice when it can to singing. They would sing in their free time and that was where Baekhyun's first dream was born. The two of them wanted to become idols. They wanted to leave their horrible lives behind and become famous.

_"Do you really think we'll make it someday?" Baekhyun asked Chen as they sat inside a cafe as the snow settled on the street before them._

_Chen smiled brightly at him. "Of course I do! We would totally pass an audition. I mean look at us, we're both handsome and we know how to sing."_

_Baekhyun nodded. "Yes, one of us is definitely handsome. The other, I'm not so sure."_

_Chen's hand whacked his shoulder in retaliation, making them both burst into laughter._

Baekhyun's happiness with Chen only lasted so long. 

One day, one of their little stealing jobs went wrong. The old man had been armed with a gun and neither Baekhyun not Chen had been ready. 

It was pouring outside and Chen lay bleeding out in a filthy alley in Baekhyun's arms.

_"Go." Chen whispered weakly as his hands curled over Baekhyun's, trying to push him away. "Go now."_

_Baekhyun didn't have it in himself to move. He couldn't just leave Chen. He kept his body over the other, shielding him as best he could from the downpour of rain._

_"No. I won't leave you." He couldn't tell if he was crying or if it was the rain._

_"You stubborn little--!" Chen's laughter was cut short as he gasped in pain. "Baekhyun, you need to go. Get back home. I'm gonna die here." Chen heaved. "Please."_

_"You're all I have!" Baekhyun tried to press on the wound to stop the blood, but there was too much of it. It was everywhere._

_"You can go, I won't blame you." Chen whispered. Baekhyun could see the tears filling his best friend's eyes. "Go be what we both dreamed about. Take the money we saved and make a better life for yourself."_

_Baekhyun's eyes widened at Chen's words._

_"I will never leave you." Baekhyun sobbed. "Chen? Chen?!"_

Chen was already unconscious when the words had left Baekhyun's lips. Then Baekhyun did the one thing he hadn't done in years. He called for help.

He poured all their money into Chen's hospital bills. They were back to square one, but at least he had Chen.

This was the third tragedy of Baekhyun's life.

The fourth tragedy of Baekhyun's life was the one that haunted him the most. It was the one he hated D.O for. 

Baekhyun laughed languidly as he tipped his head back for shot number whatever (he had stopped counting after five). He did not want to remember _that_.

"Baekhyun!" A hand snatches the shot glass out of his hand.

Baekhyun turned to look a Chen, whose frown was clear even in the dim light of the bar.

"Hello there!" Baekhyun hiccuped as he smiled at Chen. "Chenie Chen! You came for me!"

Chen could tell Baekhyun was three sheets in the wind. His eyes were glassy, filled with mirth and misery. Baekhyun's face was flushed red and his movements were slow. He stumbled towards Chen, nearly crashing face first into the shiny black tile under their feet. Completely and utterly graceless.

"Why did you drink so much?" Chen grabbed Baekhyun's arm, hauling him upright. “We have a mission to complete.”

"Came to have a celebratory drink. 'M back in Seoul!" Baekhyun laughed. "We're back Chen!"

Chen sighes. He knew why Baekhyun was drinking. He doesn't push the matter any further and pulled Baekhyun out of the bar.

"Where are we goin'?" Baekhyun slurred as Chen helps him down the bar steps.

"H.Q." Chen muttered.

"H stands for home right?" Baekhyun asks like a child. Chen doesn't have the heart to tell him otherwise.

"Yeah, it does. Let's go home."

\---

He had only thirty seconds before the bomb went off.

Kai gnawed on his bottom lip as he looked over the mess of wires.

“Agent Kai, you have twenty seconds before this bomb detonates. I suggest you think and work a little faster.” L chirped.

Kai threw the A.I. a dirty look. 

“I _know_ that.”

“Ten seconds.”

Kai rubbed at his eyes as he glared down at the hologram bomb simulation L had given to him for practice. After the group meeting and Baekhyun’s outburst, Xiumin and D.O had left to discuss how to tackle the mission, while everyone had gone their separate ways. He had decided to polish up on his bomb defusing skills. Compared to Chen, Xiumin, and Baekhyun, he had the worst bomb defusing skills in the group. Chen and Baekhyun had always teased him for being too impatient, so to get back at the two, Kai had decided to work harder.

Kai calmly cut the blue hologram wire, only for the hologram to explode in his face.

“Agent Kai, you have failed to defuse the bomb. Practice makes perfect. Would you like another simulation?” L asked.

“No.” Kai grumbled. He hated L’s ridiculously positive voice. Sometimes he swore that the A.I. was more aware than she appeared. Especially with that sarcastic tone she had used on him earlier.

“Close the simulation L.” Kai ordered.

“As you wish.” L replied before turning herself off. “Good night agent Kai.”

Kai pushed back his chair and left his room. Baekhyun still wasn’t back yet and Kai really didn’t want to eat dinner alone. Padding down the hallway, Kai knocked on Chen’s door. When he received no answer after repeated knocks, Kai left and made his way to the kitchen. He didn’t want to bother Suho, so he passed his door without knocking.

Kai decided to only leave the microwave light on in the kitchen, as he rummaged through the cabinets and retrieved a cup of instant ramen. He wanted to call his little sister and check up on her, but he figured she wouldn’t be up at midnight. At least he hoped not. 

Shiyoung was the apple of Kai’s eye, and one of the main reasons he had become an agent in the first place. Ever since their mother had abandoned them at a park, Kai had done everything he could to put a smile on his little sister’s face. 

He had met Xiumin when he had tried to steal the rims off of his agency issued car. Xiumin had caught him, but instead of turning him over to the police, he had offered Kai a place at the agency. It paid well, which meant he and Shiyoung could live the life of comfort that they had always wanted. On the other hand, Kai had to pretend that he had joined a touring dance company to explain his absence to Shiyoung, but he was okay with it. As long has his sister was well cared for, Kai would do it.

Kai silently stirred the noodles, occasionally blowing on them before taking a bite. It had been nearly a month since he had been in Korea. The team mission in Barcelona had taken copious amounts of surveillance and undercover work before they were able to retrieve the laptop from the Spanish mafia. He hoped he could ask Xiumin for a bit of time to see his sister during this mission.

Kai was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of a scoff. Looking up from his seat at the kitchen table, Kai found himself face to face with agent Sehun. The agent didn’t greet him, merely giving him a cool one over before helping himself to the instant ramen in the cabinet. Kai bristled at the sight of the other. Something was off about Sehun and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. After setting his cup in the microwave, Sehun plopped down in the seat across from Kai. He placed his chin on his hand, tipping his head slightly as his eyes bored into Kai. 

“So you’re Kai.” Sehun’s voice cut through the tense air like a knife.

Kai frowned. “I am. Weren’t we already introduced at the airport?”

“Oh, we were.” Sehun smiled coyly. “I’m just still surprised.”

“About what?” Kai was not liking Sehun’s tone. Not one bit.

“You’re a lot shorter than I thought you would be.”

Kai blinked.

_What?_

“Excuse me?” Kai kept his tone polite. 

This was a first. No one had ever called him short, let alone dare say that he was below standard. Kai was pretty tall and he prided himself on that. Now here, in front of him, was some petty little agent with a sneaky little smirk on his face, telling him otherwise.

“Oh, you know.” Sehun shrugged. “I heard all about you from everyone. People say you’re one of the best. I was expecting you to be taller. Well I mean, at least taller than me. I have to admit, it was a bit, no _really_ disappointing.”

If Kai was a cartoon character, smoke would have been shooting out of his ears. 

_Just who exactly does this guy think he is?_

Kai pushed his chair back preparing to leave. 

“Did I offend you?” Sehun feigned innocence.

“No, not at all.” Kai pulled his lips back into a strained smile. “I’m a bit tired. I’m going to go take a shower.”

The sooner he left the kitchen, the less likely Kai would find himself strangling Sehun. Meanwhile, Sehun kept his eyes trained on Kai’s back as he threw away his cup, then headed to the sink to clean his chopsticks. He was itching to see if Kai was as good as they said he was, but he wasn’t provoking him well enough.

Just as Kai was setting the chopsticks onto the dishtray, a mug flew past his face and broke into pieces on the backsplash. Whipping around to see who had thrown it, he found Sehun smiling angelically at him.

“Oops.”

A muscle in Kai’s jaw twitched. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” 

Sehun blinked. “It was an accident. I only meant to aim for you _head_.”

_My head?!_  


“You barely have any reflexes. If you did, you would have caught that.” Sehun snickered. “Wow, not so great now. Right Kai?”

Kai was trying to keep calm. His right eye twitched slightly as he turned to face Sehun fully.

“Look, I have no idea what your problem is, but I’d like you to leave me alone.”

Sehun tipped his head as he approached Kai. 

“Aww, so well mannered.” He smiled as he patted Kai’s head. “Do you shake hands as well?”

Kai nostrils flared as he blew out a sigh. He quickly slapped Sehun’s hand off of his head. 

“ _Leave me alone_.” He snarled.

Kai stormed past Sehun. Just as his left foot had touched the floor of the hallway Sehun chuckled.

“Whatever you say, _Kim Jongin_.”

Kai froze. He turned on his heel to face Sehun. Sehun could see the irritation in Kai’s eyes, he just needed to egg him on a bit more.

_Come on, Kai._

“How do you know my name?” 

“We’re a team now. I took a peek at your file a while ago.” Sehun smirked. “Can I call you that now? I think Kai is a bit overrated.”

Kai let out a mirthless laugh. There was nothing he wanted more at that moment than to drop kick Sehun.

_Does he have a death wish?_

“No you cannot.”

“Fine.” Sehun calmly reached behind his back and grabbed a plate off the dish rack. 

_It’s not working. Time for plan B._

Before Kai could think, Sehun threw the dish at his head. He ducked and it was like watching the entire thing in slow motion. He watched the plate sailed over his head and into the wall.

Kai stared at Sehun in shock.

“Better than last time.” Sehun nodded. “I still think I can take you, though.”

That was the last straw for Kai. He stalked towards Sehun. 

“Now listen here you---!”

He was cut off by Sehun throwing a punch at his face. Kai quickly blocked the hit with his arm, only to get knocked off his feet as Sehun swept his foot under him. Kai let out a gasp of shock as his back became acquainted with the hard tile floor. Sehun pounced on him, straddling his waist as he prepared to land another hit. Kai quickly brought his leg up from behind Sehun as he batted off Sehun’s punches. He wrapped his legs around Sehun’s throat from behind. Using as much force as he could Kai pulled his legs down, yanking Sehun’s body back so his head hit the tile. Sehun groaned, rubbing the back of his head as Kai gracefully flipped to his feet. 

“You definitely can’t take me.” Kai sneered as he stepped over Sehun.

“And you underestimate me too much.” Sehun grinned as he leapt to his feet. “You’re not leaving this kitchen, till you beat me.”

Kai’s eyes narrowed. “Try me.”

This time, Kai was ready for Sehun. They matched each other hit for hit. Sehun suddenly grabbed another dish off the counter and threw it at Kai. Kai ducked as the dish smashed into the cabinets. 

_I’ve had enough of those damn dishes._

Kai glanced around quickly before his eyes landed on a clean pan on the stove top. He snatched it quickly and swung at Sehun as hard as he could, aiming to knock some sense into the other agent. Rapunzel style.

“Jesus!” Sehun yelped as he jumped back as the pan whacked into the wall where his head had just been, leaving an impressive dent.

“He can’t help you here!” Kai snapped. He was proud of the fear in Sehun’s eyes. It served him right for bothering Kai in the first place.

Sehun grabbed a pot and returned fire. The pan and pot clanged loudly as they met in the air time and again. Sehun snatched the lid off his pot and threw it at Kai’s hand. Hissing in pain, Kai dropped the pan, only to be shoved to the ground by Sehun.  


“Where’s the big bad Kai now?” Sehun crowed with glee as he stood over Kai.

“Right here dumbass.” Kai sniped back as he yanked Sehun’s leg, sending him to the floor with an almighty crash.

Kai wasted no time jumping onto Sehun. The two rolled around the kitchen floor fighting for dominance over the other. Kai ended up on top. He made sure to sit on Sehun’s chest to prevent him from wiggling too much. Spotting the pot lid Sehun had thrown at him earlier, Kai took it and raised it above his head, preparing to land the finishing blow. He was going to enjoy teaching Sehun a lesson. Heaven knew the little brat deserved it.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!”

All the lights in the kitchen turned on as a red faced Xiumin stood in the doorway, with Suho clad in Star Wars pajamas, and Lay behind him. 

Kai and Sehun froze. The fighting frenzy the two had been in dissipated immediately. Kai suddenly realized what it looked like. There was large, pan sized dent in the wall. Broken dishes littered the kitchen counter and floor. It looked like a mini typhoon had torn through the kitchen. Kai himself, was straddling Sehun’s chest with a pot lid in hand, poised to cause some damage to agent beneath him.

“Xiumin, it’s not what it looks like.” Kai blurted. He quickly got off of Sehun, standing up in embarrassment.

“Really now?” Xiumin glared. 

Kai felt a blush creeping on his cheeks.

“He started it.” Sehun pointed at Kai as Lay advanced on him, like a bratty child. 

Kai turned to gape at Sehun. “No I did not!”

_The nerve!_

“I know you, Sehun.” Lay smiled like a cat cornering a mouse. “I have a feeling you almost getting beaten to death with a pot lid can easily be justified.”

The younger agent gulped. 

“Kai, what have you done?” Xiumin looked over the kitchen.

Suho looked around from behind Xiumin. He stepped into the kitchen marvelling the destruction the two agents had caused. Sehun whimpered as Lay pulled his ear and forced him in front of Kai.

“Apologize.” Lay ordered with a smile.

“I didn’t--- ow! Okay, okay! I’m sorry for picking a fight with you.” Sehun muttered as he rubbed his ear.

“Hmph! Serves you---.” Kai was cut off as Xiumin’s hand came down on his neck and pinched. 

Hard. 

“I’m sorry for trying to hit you with a pan!”

Lay turned to look at Xiumin. “I’m sorry that Sehun attacked Kai. He’s had it in his head that he can beat him.”

“No need to apologize Lay.” Xiumin shook his head as he pierced Kai with a withering look. “I thought I taught Kai better than to involve himself in petty fights.”

Sehun and Kai shrank rapidly under the blistering looks of their seniors.

“This mess,” Xiumin gestured to the mess in the kitchen, “needs to be cleaned up by tomorrow morning. You two better get really friendly since you’ll be cleaning it together. No one leaves until this kitchen is spotless.”

“The wall will come out of your checks.” Lay added.

Sehun and Kai bowed their heads in embarrassment.

“Yes sir.”

Kai decided he hated Sehun's guts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! She was a long one! ___〆(・∀・)
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 15! 
> 
> First things first, I want to thank everyone for reading this fic. I don't really look at the hits on this fic, since I'm mostly here to answer comments, but when I saw 1000+ hits I was stunned. Σ(°ロ°)! 
> 
> I really didn't think people would enjoy my writing so much. Thank you all for comments. You inspire me to write more and perfect my writing. 
> 
> This chapter has a lot in it and that's because I'm trying to write more each chapter. I feel like I'm not giving you guys the best I can do, so I'm trying. Team EXO has been formed!! I hope you liked their interaction. Junmyeon is now agent Suho and that is how he will be addressed through the fic! We learn a bit more about Baekhyun's past, and we met bratty Sehun. I wanted to lighten the mood at the end of the chapter so I had Kai meet Sehun. Did you like it? I had fun writing this chapter. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments!
> 
> I have an Instagram, so you can come chat with. My account is @realgrey_scale!
> 
> See ya! \\(^-^*)


	16. Chapter 16

06:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Baekhyun couldn't remember how he had gotten into bed, let alone changed into a clean pair of pajamas. His head pounded as he he forced himself upright from the bed, taking in his surroundings through squinting eyes. He was in his shared room with Chen. He spotted the water and aspirin on the small bedside table, instantly swallowing the pills and gulping down the water in an attempt to quell the throbbing sensation in his head.

"Well, well. Look who rose on the third day." Chen stood by the door, with his training gear on. 

"What?" Baekhyun frowned. 

"Here." Chen tossed Baekhyun a pair of sunglasses. "I doubt you'll be able to see very well today. You chose the worst time to drink yourself to death, you know that right? Xiumin wants us to do a team sparring session, to get to know the other guys. You've got ten minutes to get ready."

Baekhyun merely blinked slowly at Chen, his brain barely processing the information the other had just given him. 

"Earth to Baekhyun?" Chen waved a hand in his friend's face, growing concerned by the silence.

"Yeah, yeah I know. I'll get ready." Baekhyun sighed as he slipped on the sunglasses. 

He stood up quickly, instantly making the world spin. Chen reached out for Baekhyun, holding him up by an arm so he would not fall. 

"I'm fine." Baekhyun scowled and wrestled out of Chen's grip. "I'll be down in a bit. You can go now."

Chen opened his mouth, a question on his lips about the night before, but Baekhyun was gone faster than he could speak, vanishing with a slam from the bathroom door. Sighing to himself, Chen left the room. He wanted to ask, wanted to know, but he knew it wasn't his place to force Baekhyun to talk. They had been separated during their evaluations, Chen under Lay's supervision and Baekhyun under D.O's. Something had happened on the last day of their evaluations. Lost in thought, Chen swiped aimlessly through the hologram notifications on his watch.

"Chen."

He turned his head, eyes landing on Lay who stood in his training gear. He silently beckoning Chen to come closer by the door to his room.

"What?" Chen narrowed his eyes at Lay. 

Lay had been Chen's past instructor and nothing had surprised him more, than when he had found out the other was not much older than him. That and Lay's uncanning ability to find out secrets without speaking to anyone.

"I just want to talk."

"About who?"

"Suho."

Chen felt himself tense against his will and he sweared in his head when he saw the look of knowing in Lay's eyes. He really had no choice but to follow the other. After the door closed behind him, Lay offered him a seat on his bed.

"I'll stand, thanks."

Lay shrugged and sat on the bed himself, leaning against the wall, with his eyes still on Chen. The room was rather cozy looking. A large soft rug was beside the bed, which was covered in fluffy looking blankets and puffy tasseled pillows. A sheep pillow pet sat at the head of the bed looking just as much out of place as it did fit right in. Small candles decorated the sole windowsill in the room and there was a faint smell of incense in the air. To a regular person, this would have been relaxing, but Chen knew better. 

"You wanted to talk about Suho. So talk."

"You're tense."

"Anyone would be around you."

"Really?" Lay laughed like an angel, all soft breaths of air and elegant sighs. "Sehun tells me I behave like a sweet old lady."

"Does Sehun even know you?"

"He knows me better than you do. You were a special case Chen. Always were, always will be. Constantly testing everyone around, because you want to know their breaking point."

Chen's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about him?"

"About who?"

"Lay."

It is a warning, as good as any, and Lay drops the game instantly. Lay's eyes harden and Chen remembers the interrogation room evaluation. Four hours of intense scrutiny to see if he could break. He almost did. Lay stopped it before then.

"Did you bring him here?"

"Suho? I didn't bring him anywhere."

"I know you Chen." Lay's voice is quiet enough to be loud. "You don't have to drag someone by the hair to get them to do what you want. You like to be subtle. Give nudges. _You_ brought Suho here, a place he doesn't belong."

Chen hides the guilt in his eyes with a smile that he hopes isn't shaking. 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Junmyeon Kim."

Chen's heart stops. 

Then it starts. It pounds louder than a sledge hammer on steel and Chen thinks Lay can hear it threatening to smash out of his ribs and onto the floor in front of them. 

Guilty.

"How do you know that name?" 

"I can see things." Lay says it like it answers everything. It does, and it doesn't.

"What?" Chen can't, won't, doesn't understand.

“Well,” Lay tips his head in thought. “Your team's been on edge this entire time, like there is something you are trying to protect. Or maybe I should say, _hide_."

Lay waits for Chen to say something but he doesn't. He's afraid if he speaks, Lay will only get more information out of him.

"Xiumin kept glancing at Suho with this anxious look in his eye, and you, well you’re rarely anxious. So I figured Suho was much more than who you told he he was. Plus, Suho always stayed very close to Xiumin, always within touching distance. He is more familiar with him, than the rest of the others, so he stays close. It wasn't enough though, so I started watching Suho himself and then I noticed it.”

Chen holds his breathe and begs. He begs God not to let Lay know, begs more than even the lowest man.

"Junmyeon is Suho's real name. He's Xiumin's younger brother." 

"Take that back." Chen's voice is weird. All scratchy with no flow. "That's not true."

"Why did you bring him here?" Lay looks almost angry now and Chen doesn't know why. "He hid his brother in another country and you brought him _here_."

"I don't understand."

"You do." 

This time Lay is in his face, towering over him with a seething fury meant only for the most damned of men at the gates of hell itself. Chen wonders fleetingly if he is one such man.

"Like I said, I _know you_. I'm sure someone like Suho couldn't have found out his own brother was an agent on his own. Not without a little help, hm? You exposed Xiumin to his own brother, for a _test_! You want to see if you can find Xiumin's weakness, just like you tried with me. Do you realize what you have done? You could get him killed."

It's odd. He can't say anything. No witty comeback, no sass, no snapping. Nothing. It was like his tongue had been cut out by Lay.

"I---..."

"Does Xiumin know?" 

Chen looks helplessly at Lay and the message is easily conveyed.

"If you don't tell Xiumin on your own, I will." 

It is more of a promise than a threat and Chen knows Lay isn't bluffing.

"And if anything happens to Suho, I hope you know how to run, because I will hunt you. But I'll let Xiumin get to you first."

Chen is quiet, so silent, except for the thundering of his heart. Lay is close enough to wrap his fingers around Chen's throat. He's so close he could break Chen's nose if he wanted, but he doesn't and perhaps that's the most punishing thing. Not being able to be punished for his crimes makes Chen's head spin. He deserves it. He knows he does, but Lay won't do it, and Chen knows why.

"I warned you then. I told you to _stop_ your little games. You've gone too far this time Chen. Too far."

Lay turns away from Chen and brushes violently past him, suddenly the incense in the room isn't soothing at all. It's suffocating, choking Chen as it slithers down his throat and comes to rest like cement in his lungs. 

_"Is it possible to drown without ever being in water?" Chen's lips curled into a sneaky smile as he interrupted Lay's lecture on interrogation tactics again._

_"Yes it is." Lay's answer is simple. He never showed any sign of annoyance with Chen's questions. No matter how much Chen tried to get a raise out of Lay, he always answered politely._

_"As agents we don't always need guns, or knives, or poison to kill someone. It's very easy to drown someone without ever putting them in water."_

_"How sir?"_

_"Drown them in their guilt. It will be enough to kill them."_

\---

Suho could not remember sweating so much in his entire life. His large t-shirt clung uncomfortably to his skin as he ran around the track for what had to have been the twenty-ninth time. He was the last one and it was humiliating. Kai and Sehun had finished their run before the others. It had looked like the two were racing each other, especially with the occasional shoving and hitting. 

"Come on Suho." Xiumin had cheered as he stood by the side line of the track. "You can do it!"

Suho only glared at his brother. It was humiliating to be last, but it had not been as humiliating as "the locker room incident" as Suho had dubbed it in his head.

It had occurred just after Xiumin had come into his room and had announced that there would be a team sparring session. At _five_ in the _morning_. He had been escorted to the locker room to change into training gear clothes when everyone had suddenly started stripping. And boy was it something. 

The first thing Suho had noticed was that his own brother had a six pack made of steel. Where had his soft older brother gone? Then Lay, Chen, Baekhyun, Kai, and Sehun had also removed their shirts, revealing their own tight toned bodies. Lay had quickly noticed that Suho wasn't moving and had urged him to take off his shirt.

"Suho, you should change. You don't want your clothes getting all sweaty."

At once all eyes had zeroed in on him like lasers and Suho had felt like nothing more than a bug under a microscope. He had already snuck a peak down his own shirt, just to see his own fitness situation. Lo and behold, Suho had no abs. In the place of a much desired six pack was a soft belly with a bit of pudge. Years of holing up in his dorm room with chips and soda to watch rewatch Star Wars and Red Velvet fan-cams had caught up to him.

Suho blushed furiously. "I'd rather keep my shirt on. I get cold easily."

"If it's about privacy, you don't have to worry. We won't judge." Baekhyun had reassured Suho, before committing the ultimate betrayal. 

Before Suho could react, Baekhyun had yanked up his shirt, revealing to the entire team his soft baby tummy. It had all happened in slow motion. Everyone's eyes widened as Suho let out an unholy shriek. Baekhyun fled, taking shelter behind Chen who was being awfully quiet. 

"I--, I'm a bit--- I swear, I'm just a bit out of shape." Suho muttered as he tucked his shirt down into his pants.

"A _bit_?" Sehun muttered. "You have the body of a couch potato!"

Suho bit his lip, willing away the early events of the day to the back of his mind as he finished his thirtieth lap. 

"Alright everyone, now that we're all wide awake, let's do some sparring." Xiumin said. "Everyone pair up."

"What about me?" Suho turned to his brother. "I've never sparred in my life!"

"Don't worry, you can watch just this once. You look like you're about to collapse." Xiumin handed Suho a bottle of water. 

The first pair was Kai and Sehun, which in Suho's eyes was like adding Mentos to a bottle of Coca Cola. Absolutely volatile. Suho had figured the sparring match was merely a continuation of the WWE smackdown the two had started the night before in the kitchen. In the end Kai and Seuhn had to be pulled apart by Xiumin and Lay, whose own sparring session had Suho's body aching from just watching. It was amazing to watch his brother fight like he was out of an action movie, but the hits he took and gave were a bit much for Suho. Chen and Baekhyun had also sparred, however their's seemed much more subdued that the others, especially with Baekhyun wearing sunglasses the entire time. After the sparring, everyone had gone their separate ways to shower before meeting back at the mission briefing room. D.O who had been nowhere to be found during the group exercise, was sitting silently at the main computer, talking with L. He turned to meet them as everyone filed in.

"What took you all so long?" D.O's voice was sharp, but Xiumin didn't even look fazed. 

"Team sparring. Everyone should have been there. Where were you?"

"I had a talk with K."

Lay arched an eyebrow in interest. "Well, don't leave us in suspense. What'd he say?"

"A source got us an invitation to a party Blackpink is hosting in Seoul."

"Isn't the race in Busan?"

"It is." D.O replied. "I have no idea why they're having the party here. Maybe the Busan race isn't ready yet."

"Could be." Xiumin nodded. "Are we attending the party?"

" _You_ are. I have my own thing to attend to." D.O handed Xiumin a clear file. "This is has all your cover aliases and possible targets of the mission. Don't engage any of members of Blackpink in combat, you're just there to observe and collect any information necessary for the completion of our mission."

"Aren't you part of our team? You should be there with us." Chen frowned. Since when did a team member suddenly not work with the team. It rubbed him wrong. Beside Chen, Baekhyun had been deathly quiet, even with the sunglasses on, Chen could tell he was glaring at D.O. Was there something that he knew? Or was it just Baekhyun's long stemmed dislike of the other man that had him angry with D.O?

"I have a different task. It's K related." D.O replied. "I'll be somewhere else while you work on the party."

With that, D.O left the room briskly, not once turning back or saying goodbye.

"What a jerk." Baekhyun muttered. "How the hell did K think putting _us_ with _him_ would work?"

"He's not here now, so let's just focus." Xiumin called their attention back to him. "L, brief us on our mission."

"Absolutely agent Xiumin. Blackpink will be hosting a midnight party at the The W Hotel in the main ballroom. A source from the agency has confirmed the following people will be attending the party: iKon members B.I, Bobby, Jay, Song, D.K, June, and Chanwoo. This group of men control a significant majority of South Korea's organized crime. Also in attendance, Duchess Fairchild from England, well known for her international weapons and escort business. Bakari Najoma from Kenya, also a weapons dealer but for small warlords in Africa. Wei Linh from China, will also attend. He deals in illegal poaching, underground illegal animal auctions, as well as drug trafficking. Marcellano Cortez a mafia leader from Spain will also be at the party."

"Shit." Baekhyun muttered. "You think he'll recognize me if we see each other?"

Chen plucked a long haired wig off of Baekhyun's desk and tossed it to him. "Better safe than sorry."

"From America there will be one unidentified participant." L continued. "It appears our source was unable to uncover their identity, they have ties to Blackpink, but there is no further information on them. The only information we know about them is that they are part of a much larger group whose actions are unknown to the SM agency. This person is merely a representative. Also from America is James Wellington a well known mercenary and Ex-CIA who goes by the nickname Thanatos. Agents of team Exo, you are tasked with gathering as much intel as possible on the whereabouts of the Aetherius Aurora and of Blackpink's future plans for the diamond. Avoid any possible conflicts with other guests at the party. May you have a successful mission." L vanished from the hologram projector, returning to the computer interface.

"So we got a party at midnight, what do we do until then?" Suho glanced at the other agents.

'We go over our new covers for the party. Make sure you know everything in your file. If you screw up, you could get in serious trouble." Chen replied as he handed Suho his file. "You also need to go over the Phantom program Blackpink used in Paris. Try reverse engineering it so we can use it to track their movements."

"I checked it out on the plane over." Suho tapped a finger on his laptop. "I think the program is linked to the cube they used. I don't know how, but I need to get a look at the cube. Maybe there's something inside it."

Chen nodded and went to his bag. He had left it there since their arrival at the agency because he had been too tired to even think of unpacking. He handed the cube to Suho, who somehow missed the cube, letting it drop to the floor breaking cleanly in two. The clattering sound the two halves makes draws all the attention in the room to Suho.

"Ah... Oh gosh. I-- Chen I'm really sorry. I totally didn't mean to drop it. I'm just a bit clumsy."

"That could have been the _key_ to solving the Phantom program." Chen hissed. "Now we have nothing."

"I could try to fix it."

"You didn't build it did you?"

Suho's shoulders hunched slightly as he cast his eyes downward. He crouched down by the pieces of the cube, gathering them swiftly into his hands when something gleaming in the cube caught his eye. It was a small chip, around the size of a thumbnail, scratched messily on its surface was a simple name. Virus. Suho picked up the chip and placed it on his desk, silently running his thumb over the scratched surface of the chip.

"Um, Chen?"

"What?" 

"You said Rosé made the cube right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Chen walked over to Suho's desk and looked at the chip in his hands.

"Any idea who Virus is?"

"No clue, but L might know." Chen replied. "L can you conduct an internet scan? Someone by the name of Virus with ties to Blackpink."

Immediately L appeared. 

"Conducting scan for name Virus. Tracking possible ties to Blackpink now."

Suho gaped as L began pulling up various audio clips, technology scans, and bank transactions right before his eyes.

"I have complied some information on Virus, permission to read?"

"Permission granted." Chen nodded to the hologram.

"Virus is the name of a well unknown black market engineer who is rumored to live in Seoul. They have been contracted to create several technologies for iKon and Blackpink, including the cube used in the Atherius Aurora heist. Virus has also created bombs, safes, cars, and other objects of destruction for international crime lords. There is no clear picture to identify Virus at this time. Is anything else needed agent Chen?" L concluded.

"No. Thank you L."

Chen turned to Suho and pointed at the chip. "I think your little accident may have just helped us out. We should try to find Virus. Maybe lure him out for a talk."

"Any volunteers?" Chen looked around the room.

"I can try." Sehun sat up in his chair. "Virus probably gets paid really well for all sorts of stuff. I have plenty of money, so maybe I should try to meet him."

"That could work." Xiumin joined in. "Maybe instead of heading to the party tonight, you can cover Virus and the rest of us will go."

"First things first, we need to get to meet him face to face." Chen said. "That way we can know who we're dealing with."

"How are we even going to get in contact with him?" Lay asked. "This guy might not even be in Seoul for all we know. It's only rumored that he's here."

"We have no choice but to take a chance." Xiumin replied. "Does anyone know how to get a message to Virus?"

"I know how!" Suho blurted excitedly. "There's this international online black market website for engineers to working under the radar. It's mostly for people looking for easy jobs, and for cheap parts. Virus could be on there."

"And you know this _how_?" Xiumin's eyes narrowed on his younger brother.

Suho gulped.

"I-- well, erm. A friend of mine used it a lot. He made a ton of money working for people on there."

"Oh my! Suho's a really bad boy." Baekhyun teased as he twirled in his chair.

"Anyway," Suho twiddled his thumbs nervously under Xiumin's stare. "I can set up an appointment for Sehun with Virus, if I can find him on the website."

"Go ahead. Sehun stay with Suho, you need to know what he's writing for you so when you talk to Virus, nothing gets mixed up." Xiumin instructed. "Everyone else can work on their covers and start checking out any equipment we might need."

\---

Later at night ... 

Sehun had always thought Seoul was more alive at night than during the day. During the day all the dull people went about their day. Children at school, adults at their job, nothing really came to life during the day. However at night, the city seemed to thrive. Night markets, parties, secret meetings, and hidden places all popped up all over Seoul. All the truly exciting things happened at night. The air was a bit chilly but it felt good on Sehun's skin as he rode his motorcycle to the bar.

This wasn’t Sehun’s first solo outing. After Xiumin had handed him a simple piece of paper with his mission, and Suho had set up the meeting, Sehun had been itching for his mission to start. The meeting place was an old seedy bar on the lower side of Seoul, where the city wannabe thugs hung around. Places like these intrigued Sehun. There was something thrilling in all the filth, a sort of excitement at the possible trouble that could happen there. Sehun brought his motorcycle to a stop a block away from the bar. He didn’t want to risk someone tracking his ride. Tucking the helmet into the back of the motorcycle, Sehun walked to the bar. 

Upon entering, there was a large man by the doorway. He stopped Sehun, jerking his thumb at a ‘No Weapons’ sign written in large black letters. Sehun calmly handed over his gun, feeling rather vulnerable without his weapon.

The bar was dimly lit, but busy. Men and women smoked over tables of cards and beer. Others watched a sports game of the many small TVs around the bar, while others played pool. Eye flicked towards Sehun was he made his way towards the bar, and Sehun figured he probably shouldn’t have dyed his hair white. It drew plenty of attention, but Sehun kept it simple. He only met the curious eyes, with a nod of greeting and continued on his way.

Once he reached the bar, Sehun made himself comfortable, silently sweeping his eyes over the other customers. He ordered a glass of water, simply because he would rather have his head together for the job. 

“I have never met someone who came to a bar for a glass of water.” The bartender laughed as he passed Sehun the glass.

“He’s not here to drink.” Came a voice.

Sehun glanced out of the side of his left eye as someone sat down beside him.

It was a very tall man with his face hidden by his large hood. Although his face was hidden, but Sehun could hear the laughter in his voice, even though he couldn’t see it on his face.

“Nice dye job. You do it yourself?” The man complimented.

“I did, thanks.” Sehun replied. He had no interest in the guy beside him. If this was some type of pick-up line, it was atrocious. He was here for the Virus and nothing else.

“You know, bars are never fun when you’re sober.” Continued the other man. He was facing him now, but only the lower half of his face was visible. The hood and dim lights kept his face in shadow.

Sehun couldn’t help but throw another glance at the other man in annoyance. He didn’t want to talk to him. When would this guy take the hint?

“I’m waiting for someone.” 

The other man grinned, flashing a neat set of pearly white teeth.

“That someone must be pretty important. So who’s the lucky girl?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious.” 

“Mind your own business.”

“You wound me.” The man feigned pain, with a deep laugh. “Maybe I can point you to where whoever you’re waiting for.”

“I don’t need any help. Especially from someone like you.” Sehun leveled the frostiest glare he could at the other man.

“Well, well, well. The unmemorable _Oh Sehun_ is as cold as the rumors say.” He chuckled.

Sehun’s eyes widened at the sound of his own full name from the other man’s lips. He turned in his seat to look at the other man. 

The man pushed back his hood slightly, just enough to fully reveal his face. Lounging nonchalantly beside him was none other than Virus. He was a lot younger than Sehun thought he would be. He figured that the Virus would be a seasoned ex-agent gone rogue of some sort, probably into his late thirties, early forties. Not the young man in front of him. He looked like he could be only a year or two older than Sehun. Shocking bright red hair peeked out from underneath his big black hoodie, framing a handsome face. He had sparkling eyes, almost as though he was a moment away from bursting into laughter, if you didn’t count the hidden edge to them. His lips were pulled back into a cocky smirk as Sehun’s eyes widened.

“You--?”

“What? You thought I wouldn’t recognize you?” Virus grinned. “I always heard that the Oh’s had a second son, but I could never find an actual clear picture of you. Most of them were fake anyway. You keep a really low profile. I heard that even Dispatch couldn’t find you and everyone knows those guys are hard to shake. I have to say, you look way better than those pixelated pictures. It’s pretty impressive considering how big your family name is, hm?”

Sehun pursed his lips into a thin line as his nostrils flared in irritation. Irritation, and maybe fear. He’s not used to being noticed and pointed out. Like Virus had said. Sehun was better off being unmemorable. He never thought someone would look at his face and know his name.

“We’re not here to talk about me.”

“Oh, on the contrary, we are.” Virus thanked the bartender as he took his drink. He took a sip, his eyes never leaving Sehun’s for a moment.

“You’re the one who wanted to see me. You looked for me, you even set up a face-to-face appointment. You hired me. You started all this. So yes, this is all about you.”

Sehun glanced around the bar briefly. It was a shady place and in shady places, there were always ears and eyes.

“Don’t worry, no one here knows you’re loaded.” Virus winked. “Except us of course.” 

Virus set down his glass, contemplatively running his index finger around the rim.

“Typically most clients just send the check and I send them their product. Why did you want to see me?”

“You’re like an urban legend, I needed to know you were legit.”

“So are you. Although I have to admit I’m flattered, that’s not the answer to my question.” Virus fixed him with a sharp look. “Tell me Oh Sehun, what kind of person are you, contacting a person like me?”

“I just need a favor.” Sehun replied.

“Really? What kind of favor?”

Sehun let his eyes wander away from Virus, the man hanging by the bar a few feet away from them was too close for Sehun’s comfort. 

“You’re awfully jumpy.” Virus tipped his head to the side. He watched Sehun with a fiery intensity, like he could burn away the mask Sehun was wearing and peer into his soul, with just his eyes.

“This is my first time doing this.”

“Being in a bar, talking to me, or both?”

“Just talking to you.”

“You’re afraid you’ll get caught.” Virus smiled wickedly. “You must really not want anyone to see you here. Who are you so afraid of?”

Sehun turned back to the Virus. 

“That’s none of your business.”

“I think it is. You’re interesting.”

Interesting? Now that was a problem. Sehun wasn’t supposed to be interesting. Interesting meant curiosity, and Sehun knew that curiosity had killed bigger things than cats. It could kill him. Right there, in the bar, with the mysterious Virus.

“You never answered my question about the favor. What is it?”

“I’ve heard you did work for iKon, recently.”

“I did. What does that have to do with anything?”

“What was their last purchase from you?”

At that Virus leaned back slowly giving Sehun a cool once over. His eyes narrowed as he leaned his head on his hand.

“I’m a lot of things, Sehun, but I am not a snitch.”

“You can’t tell me, or you won’t?” 

“I like to call it professionalism. Client confidentiality, if you will.”

“Looks like it’s both.” Sehun wanted to pull his hair in frustration. Virus was talking him in circles. He was yet to get any decent information.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Word on the street is that your products are incredible. I want what you gave iKon.”

“If you’re trying to pick a fight with iKon, I’d personally start making funeral arrangements now. You won’t win, especially against them.”

“Oh?” Sehun used this moment to strike at Virus’s ego. “Are you afraid of them?”

“No. I’m just smart enough to know who to pick a fight with and who not to. They’re better business partners than they are enemies.”

“If you’re so smart, then shouldn’t you be the one running the show?”

“You’re good at flattery.” Virus finished his drink. “But I think you’re trying too hard. Like a rookie cop.”

Sehun remained calm. Virus wasn’t right, he wasn’t a cop, but he was damn close.

“I have no idea what you mean by that.” He chuckled.

Virus only hummed in response. His eyes hadn’t left Sehun’s face. Sehun felt like all the walls he had built to hide everything were being peeled back. No, they were being burned away. Every wall was crumbling into ash, unrecoverable from then on. Sehun found himself ordering a drink. The water hadn’t been helping at all.

“Most rookies would have started sweating and looking around for backup. You came alone, so you have no backup. You’re not sweating either. Maybe you were trained.”

“I’m flattered.” Sehun lied. He was terrified. “I’m always told by my mother that even at birth I had a poker face. It’s unfortunate, but it helps in a tough game of cards, though.”

Virus laughed aloud at that. He had a dazzling smile. Stark white teeth flashed in Sehun’s face again as the other threw his head back in mirth.

“Maybe we should play sometime.” 

Sehun kept his eyes on his drink, silently tapping a finger against the glass as he thought of a new way to get Virus to chat. Virus leaned in suddenly, nearly closing the space between him and Sehun. His knees knocked into Sehun’s as he beckoned the other closer.

“I’m going to have to correct you about earlier. My most recent work was for Blackpink.”

“The heist in Paris.” Sehun filled in.

“Yeah, I built what got them into the vault.” Virus beamed with pride. “I spent months working on it, and it worked.”

“What was it?”

“I can’t say.” Virus smirked mischievously and it made Sehun want to punch him in the face. This man was one of the most intelligent people in South Korea, maybe even the world, and here he was acting like a child. The kind you had to bargain with so they could tell you where they hid your things. On top of it all, Sehun wasn’t sure if the Virus was avoiding questions on purpose, or if he was just talking. 

Sehun grit his teeth in frustration. Then he remembered what D.O had told him about getting information. 

_Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little, Sehun._

“It was a cube, right? Some sort of locking and unlocking device, designed specifically for a certain vault right?”

Virus arched an eyebrow in surprise. “Now I wonder where you heard that.”

“Word travels and you have a reputation. You shouldn’t be surprised. Blackpink praised you themselves.”

Sehun let the lie slip past his lips with ease. He watched as the gears in Virus’s head turned. It was a risk, name-dropping Blackpink like that. If Virus was cunning enough, he would see right through Sehun’s lie, and Sehun would be dead meat. A bead of sweat trickled down the nape of Sehun’s neck and he told himself, he was only sweating because the bar was hot. He waited for Virus to strike at him, to see through the lie, and get him. It didn’t happen.

Instead Virus blinked in astonishment and grinned cheerfully, pressing his hands into his face, to hide the reddening spots on his cheeks.

“I didn’t know that they were praising me. Gosh, that’s really cool.”

The sudden change in the Virus’s attitude gave Sehun whiplash. One second he had been boring holes into Sehun, the next he was like a kid blushing with pride and embarrassment after getting a compliment.

“So, can you make me the same thing, as Blackpink then?” Sehun set his drink down.

“I can.” Virus replied. “For the right price, of course.”

“How much?” Sehun sipped his drink again.

“583,220,000 won.”

Sehun’s drink when down the wrong way.

“Or about 500,000 United States dollars, rounding up of course. Either currency is fine with me.” Virus shrugged, completely oblivious to Sehun’s coughing and wobbling state of mind.

“That much?!”

Virus frowned at him. “Listen, the materials I use aren’t cheap. I have to buy stuff from other people and they aren’t cheap either.”

Sehun rubbed at the burning in his chest.

“Are you telling me, Oh Sehun, doesn’t have enough money?” Virus arched an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you parents kicked you off your trust fund.”

“They did not.” Sehun snapped. “I can pay for it. The price was a little surprising for just a cube.”

Virus glared. “It’s not just any cube. It’s like an artificial intelligence of sorts. I built it to get around the vault security. I had to travel to Paris myself to see how to build it. It’s meant to change itself in order to fit the vault, find a weakness, and exploit it. Every action that cube makes, every time you shift a side, it creates a new way to break into a vault. So yes. It’s fucking expensive.”

“Fine, when can it be finished?” Sehun sighed. He was already thinking about the look D.O would give him when he asked him to withdraw 583,220,000 won from the agency reserves.

“You’re in luck. I built a backup cube after I made one for Blackpink. I can deliver it tomorrow night. Name a place.”

“Here.”

“Here?” Virus arched an eyebrow. “I personally wouldn’t bring all that money here. That can be risky.”

“Not many people pay attention to places like these.” Sehun gestured to the bar. “We can finish our deal here.”

“Suit yourself.” Virus shrugged. He held out a large hand to Sehun.

“Deal?”

Sehun shook his hand, slightly surprised by the warmth in the other’s hand.

“Deal.”

Virus’s lips pulled back to flash his radiant smile. “Pleasure doing business Sehun. I’ll see you around.”

With that, Virus threw some bills on the counter and left the bar. He threw Sehun another cheery smile before heading out of the bar. Sehun hadn’t realized he was holding his breath, until Virus had disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back? ┬┴┬┴┤･ω･)ﾉ 
> 
> Hello everyone! Greyscale is alive and breathing, don't worry.
> 
> I am so sorry for my recent absence. I got writer's block and I felt terrible since I knew many of you were waiting for an update. I hope you can forgive me... .･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.
> 
> I'm going to try to give you another chapter this week to make up for my absence. It's about team Exo crashing Blackpink's party (¬‿¬ ). Any interactions you want to see at the party?
> 
> What did you think about Lay and Chen's little moment? What did you think about Sehun's little meeting with Virus? Let me know in the comments!
> 
> Thank you all! Ta, ta! ヾ(*'▽'*)


	17. Chapter 17

23:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

The pictures of The W Hotel didn't do it any justice. 

Outside the entrance of the hotel was a long line of expensive cars lit up by the gleaming gold lights that lined the driveway of the hotel. The building itself was majestic all on its own. The large W at the front was displayed in dark blue light, while the entrance was bathed in dark shimmering purple lights. 

"Wow." Suho breathed. He had plastered himself against the window of the agency van, drinking in the sight of the hotel with wide eyes.

"Alright everyone focus." Xiumin clapped his hands. "Everyone has their assignments. Chen and Lay, you guys are valets, place trackers on any cars that belong to targets."

Chen glanced warily at Lay who only nodded at Xiumin's instructions. Chen shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of his conversation with Lay that morning replaying itself in his head.

"Baekhyun and Kai, you guys are lady and escort. Make friends and get as much info as you can on the race, we might have to participate in it."

Baekhyun smirked as he examined his eyeshadow in a small hand mirror, while Kai rolled his eyes.

"I'll be at down by the games listening in for info as a card dealer and Suho will try force pairing phones as a waiter. Everyone stay on the comm link, if anything goes wrong, one of us will come and get you. All good?" 

"Yes sir." Baekhyun mini saluted Xiumin as they all exited the van.

Xiumin glanced at Suho who was still ogling the hotel.

"Suho."

"Hm?" He turned to look at his brother who watched him with worried eyes.

"Promise me you'll stay safe." Xiumin gripped his shoulders.

Xiumin's eye searched his young brother's face. Suho looked back all smiles and excitement. 

_If only you knew, Junmyeon._

"I will." Suho smiled. "This is exciting!"

Before Xiumin could say another word, Suho jogged past him, catching up with Baekhyun who swung an arm around his shoulder. Xiumin gazed quietly at his brother's back in worry before slowing following him.

"So, it's your first mission." Baekhyun smiled brightly.

Compared to the other team members, Baekhyun was dressed as a woman, and a very attractive one at that. He wearing a shiny black bob with large black sunglasses over his eyes. After tossing clothes around back at H.Q. he had settled for a simple off-the-shoulder black dress. He looked stunning, especially with the fan in his hand. The main reason he was dressed this way was because one of their past mission targets, Marcellano Cortez, was attending Blackpink's party, it was only wise that Baekhyun be in disguise.

Kai who was Baekhyun's partner for this mission was decked out in a three-piece suit that made him look like he had just stepped off a cat walk. He made Suho feel useless up until the moment Kai had softly asked him to help him fix his tie, which apparently the kid couldn't do on his own.

"Suho, we're counting on you to force pair with at least one Blackpink member's phone." Chen instructed as he handed Suho an innocent looking Samsung. "You said the program you placed on the phone should work, right?"

"It will." Suho nodded eagerly. "I made sure to add a backup program to protect the phone, so it won't be traced."

Chen's eyes lingered on Suho briefly, searching his eyes questioningly. 

"I won't mess up." Suho added.

"That's not what I'm worried about." Chen turned away, adjusting the red valet baseball cap on his head low over his face. He could feel Lay's eyes on him.

"Don't worry about messing up." Baekhyun smiled reassuringly as he leaned against Suho. "We'll keep an eye on you on the floor, press the third knob on your watch and one of us will get to you."

"Let's split up. We might start attracting unwanted attention like this." Lay said. "Chen and I will stay out here, Baekhyun and Kai should check in on the guests' list, while Suho and Xiumin enter the hotel from the side to get to their jobs."

"Here are your masks." Xiumin handed Baekhyun, Kai, and Suho each a rather ornate mask.

"What are these for?" Baekhyun picked up his simple white mask. It was decorated with small crystal hanging stars. 

"Apparently the party is a masquerade one." Xiumin said as he placed an ice blue mask on his face. "I got these from H.Q. Each mask has a small mini camera, it will record conversations and take pictures every time you tap the side. Just make it look like you're adjusting your mask, then you can take a picture."

Suho had a mask decorated with waves around the eyes and jewel like water droplets hung from the two chains on either end of the mask. Kai's mask looked a bit steampunk. The base color was grey, which made his bronze skin look rather warm. The mask had gold decorations around the eyes. Two little gold painted keys hung off of his mask on either end, giving him a mysterious look.

"Why did you get the best mask?" Baekhyun pouted as he looked Kai over.

"It's probably because he's better looking than you." Chen replied, quickly dodging Baekhyun's fan before it could hit him.

\---

The moment Suho set foot in the hotel, it felt like an entirely different world. The large room was bathed in lim purple lights and the air was filled with loud music that blasted around the room. Dancers moved their bodies seductively to the music on top of tables. Some danced behind see-through curtains, scantily clad with masks over their faces. Masked men and women stood at small tables talking quietly, while others danced in the middle of the room, raising their drinks to the sky. The room pulsed with its own energy and it fed into the party atmosphere. The music made the floor vibrate under Suho's feet as he looked around the place. There was something incredibly enticing about the party. It left Suho wanting more, greedily drinking in the energy of the room with his eyes and ears.

"Hey newbie!" 

Suho turned at pointed at himself questioningly. Standing before him was the head waiter, scowling at him from under his mask.

"Me?"

"Who else?!" He snapped. The head waiter shoved a tray of mini sandwiches at Suho. "Stop standing there uselessly and go around. I want you in the back for another tray when that one is cleared. Understood?"

"Sure-- I mean, of course, sir."

Suho suddenly heard a loud chuckling in his ear.

"Already getting scolded on you first job Suho?" Baekhyun teased.

Suho whipped his head around trying to find Baekhyun in the crowd of people.

"Where are you?"

"Upper level, you look cute down there."

Suho noticed Baekhyun leaning against one of the beams of the upper level of the room. The agent's red lips pulled back into a teasing grin as he waved his fan at Suho in greeting. Suho ducked his head as Baekhyun threw a wink at him.

"How did you find me in all these people?"

"You stick out like a sore thumb." 

It was Kai speaking this time.

"Everyone here is partying, even the waiters, but you look like you entered the wrong room."

Kai suddenly appeared and plucked a sandwich off of Suho's tray without looking at him.

"Kai don't tease. Suho ease up a bit, you won't die, I promise." Baekhyun added. "Get a drink or something."

"How about you focus on _your_ mission, Baekhyun." Xiumin's voice cut in. "Please refrain from trying to pass your bad behavior to Suho, he is _new_. Sitting there and looking pretty isn't going to do anything."

"Xiumin." Baekhyun whined loudly in the comm unit. "You never let me have any fun."

"Suho, you've got B.I three o'clock." Xiumin ignored Baekhyun. "Can you try pairing with his phone?"

"I can, but um, Xiumin. Where's three o'clock?"

"He's next to the champagne fountain." Baekhyun translated.

Suho moved slowly through the crowd towards B.I whose back was turned. Setting the sandwich tray on an empty table, Suho took out the phone Chen had given him. He slipped closer to B.I, keeping the champagne fountain between them as he opened the app to pair their phones.

"Um, guys I have a problem." Suho blurted as he frowned at the screen on his phone. "There's already a program running through the WIFI network."

"What do you mean?" Xiumin whispered as he sorted out another deck in front of the impatient players.

"My guess is Rosé's Phantom program." Suho replied. "I think she's using it to keep people's phones from being hacked. Or at least, it's preventing me from pairing with B.I's phone. I might need to manually disable the WIFI network."

"Any ideas as to where you could do that?" Xiumin replied.

"My bets are in the basement of the hotel. Most of the technical stuff should be down there." Suho glanced around warily, worried someone would notice him. "I'm going to need something bigger than a phone to disable the network though."

"Chen brought a tablet with him." Baekhyun winked at a passing man as he weaved through the crowd, his sights set on Bobby. "He's been awfully quiet on the comm. Chen are you listening?"

There was no answer and Baekhyun turned to look at Xiumin who met his gaze despite the many people separating them. 

"I should go check on Chen." Baekhyun blurted as he turned towards the door.

"He's fine Baek, he's with Lay." Xiumin assured. "They'll be fine."

"Lay hasn't answered anyone." Kai joined in. "I just tried to get to him."

"Xiumin, I should go."

"No, stay here. Kai and Suho will go out to check on Chen and Lay, then to get the tablet. We have time, Blackpink isn't even here yet."

Baekhyun's fingers tightened on his fan for a moment. "Right, you're right. They're probably fine."

"Suho I'll meet you at the door." Kai looked at Suho across the room.

"Be safe you two." Baekhyun called.

\---

Chen couldn't seem to escape Lay. The elder's eyes seemed to follow him wherever he went. They were undercover as valets, which wasn't much of a grueling job, but Chen found himself quickly tiring under Lay's gaze. Fed up with trying to avoid Lay, Chen stormed towards the other man leaning quietly against a silver Camero he had just parked.

"Can I fucking help you?"

Lay blinked slowly at Chen, indifferent to the edge in Chen's voice.

"I didn't ask for anything."

"You are. You keep staring. What. Do. You. Want."

Lay didn't answer.

"Give me your phone." Chen held out his hand to Lay who turned it over without a fight.

"What do you want with it?" Lay asked.

Chen didn't answer, instead he turned on the camera and snapped a few pictures of himself before throwing the phone at Lay.

"I heard pictures last longer."

Lay arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"What makes you think I've been watching you?"

Chen didn't answer as he swiftly walked away.

"You feel it. Don't you?" Lay called. "You can feel the guilt."

Whirling around Chen turned off his comm unit. The others didn't need to hear about this.

"Don't fucking start."

"Have you told Xiumin yet?"

"Take out your comm." Chen replied. "I'm not talking until you do."

Lay tipped his head, but did as Chen asked. 

"Well? Did you?"

"I will tell him _after_ the mission."

"Liar."

Chen glared at Lay who was walking closer.

"The mission has priority over _everything_. I will tell him after. Don't dare try to pressure me."

Lay sneered. "You're a coward."

Chen flinched at that. Coward? Yes, he was one. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew. He was afraid of what Xiumin would think of him. Xiumin who, no matter what Chen did, always chuckled and shook his head. Would he do that now? Chen doubted it. Especially since he was the reason Junmyeon, no--- Suho was here now.

"Call me whatever you want." Chen snapped. "I have a mission to complete and so do you."

"Chen. Chen stop!" Lay ran after the other.

"Oh, fuck off you--!" Chen was cut off as Lay clapped a hand over his mouth and pulled him behind a large Jeep.

"Rosé will you hurry up?! I don't want to be late to our own party." A cool voice snapped in the air.

Chen silently peeled Lay's hand off of his mouth, keeping his eyes on the other agent as they listened to the conversation not but a few feet away from them. They kept low, watching the members of Blackpink walking out of a long white limo.

"Ease up Jisoo. I'm sure our guests are too busy with other things to worry about us yet." Jennie handed the elder a mask as she donned her own. She let her eyes roam over the quiet parking lot as they headed towards the W Hotel. 

Chen shifted slightly, waiting for Blackpink to walk past them. Just as Lisa had walked by the Jeep, Jennie stopped.

"What now? Did you forget one of your favorite knives?" Lisa teased the elder.

"No." Jennie's eyes narrowed as she looked towards the place where Chen and Lay were hiding. "I think someone who shouldn't be here is here."

Jisoo arched an eyebrow. "And you said I was jumpy."

"Go ahead without me." Jennie's heels hit the asphalt loudly as she marched back towards the cars. "I'll catch up with you once I've scouted this place."

Chen's eyes widened as he looked at Lay. 

"Split up." Lay mouthed before vanishing into the darkness.

Chen obeyed, slipping under the Benz beside the Jeep, then he soundlessly ran down a line of cars crouched low.

Jennie stopped in front of a gold colored Maserati, jumping lightly onto its roof for a better view of the parking lot.

"Come out, come out wherever you are. I know you've been watching. Don't make me drag you out."

Her call was met with tense quiet. The loud music from the hotel pounded distantly in the air.

"Well then." Jennie calmly pulled two thin bladed knives out from her forearms. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

\---

Xiumin was tired of dealing cards by the second game. He kept himself entertained by talking through the comm to Baekhyun who was watching Bobby a few tables away.

"You look bored." Baekhyun murmured into the comm.

"That's because I am. I can't actually believe that people spend their time doing stuff like this."

"Right." Baekhyun teased. "Because teaching yourself how to brew coffee is _far_ more interesting."

"Are you judging my hobbies?" Xiumin smoothly shuffled the deck, letting the cards disappear and reappear between his fingers to the awe of the partiers.

"Nope. Just wondering why you don't like living large like the people around us here."

"I already live large. We all do."

"Correct as always." Baekhyun laughter was cut short as he noticed Bobby making his way towards him. "Sorry to cut our chat short. I have Bobby coming my way."

"Good luck." Xiumin replied.

With that, Xiumin was left alone. Suho and Kai had just left in search of Chen and Lay who had somehow gone off the comm link. He hoped that the other agents were safe.

"Gyeon!" 

Xiumin turned at the sound of his cover's name. Walking towards him was another card dealer.

"You've been requested for a private room."

Xiumin blinked in surprise. "With who?"

The other card dealer merely shrugged. "I don't know why. They just said they wanted you, and fast."

Xiumin frowned at that. A small feeling of unease crept down his spine. Had his cover been blown? Did someone here know who he really was?

He looked around the crowded room, searching for a face that could tip him off and found none.

"What about this table?" Xiumin gestured to the game before him.

"I'll cover for you. You have to got to the room on the upper floor, number 127." 

Bowing his head in thanks, Xiumin left the party. Xiumin made his way up a large oakwood grand staircase that had massive yet elegant chandelier hanging over it. He looked at the room numbers as he walked quickly, tapping the side of his mask.

"L, begin recording sequence now."

Right before his eyes, L appeared in the hallway as a hologram.

"Agent Xiumin, I am currently unable to access any recording sequence. It appears the Phantom program agent Suho mentioned earlier is affecting my system."

Xiumin pursed his lips in irritation. "Are there any other ways to get around the Phantom program."

"I'm afraid not agent Xiumin. We require the aid of agent Suho, should I contact him for you?" L inquired.

"No. Keep track of the other agents for now."

"As you wish."

L disappeared leaving Xiumin alone as he stood before room 127. Loosening his cufflinks and tie, Xiumin knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A muffled cheery voice answered. "The door's unlocked."

The room was well lit, large glowing lanterns hung from the ceiling high above Xiumin's head. There was a long table in front of him, decorated with all sorts of food. Sitting at the head of the table was a young man. Masked like the people partying below. His mask only covered the upper half of his face. It was decorated with white flowers of all sorts, their petals glimmered softly in the light as though they were made of glass. He wore a silk shirt with a black ribbon tie done loosely around his neck. A long red robe hid the rest of his lean frame from Xiumin's eyes.

"Hello there Xiumin." The eyes behind the mask twinkled amusedly at Xiumin.

Xiumin didn't dare move. He kept his eyes on the young man who stared back lazily from behind the mask. He lounged on the large red and black velvet chair at the head of the table, waiting for Xiumin's next move.

"Who are you?"

The young man cracked a smile, jovial and friendly. "Don't worry too much about that. Who I am is not important. What _you_ are doing here is."

He smiled again and pointed to the seat just to his right.

"Come sit." He pulled a crystal carved chess board out, setting it on the table. "Humor me with a game, will you? I did call you here. Really I haven't gone up against someone in a good round of chess for decades."

Xiumin walked forward cautiously, unable to ignore the feeling that he was a lamb going to slaughter. He sat down next to the young man, making sure his body was positioned to react to any attacks at a moments notice. The young man set up the chess board quickly, seeming much more interested in the game than Xiumin's wariness.

"What is this about?" Xiumin pointed to the board. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"One question at a time please." The young man tapped his bottom lip with a chuckle. "I know you are eager for answers but we have a game to play first."

"Not until you answer my questions." Xiumin pushed the chess board towards the man. "I'm not playing until then."

The man frowned. "How about a deal? For every piece you take from me, you can ask me a question and I will try to answer it as best as I can?"

Xiumin looked down at the chess board. The white crystal pieces were on his side. The first move would be his.

"Deal."

"Good!" The young man clapped his hands together in excitement. "I'm glad you're such an agreeable person Xiumin. Let's play."

Xiumin's first question came when he took the man's pawn. It wasn't a big move, but it had guaranteed him a question answered.

"What is your name?"

"Hm... I don't think I can tell you that just yet. Xiumin we still have a _very_ long way to go with this game."

"You didn't answer my question." Xiumin glared at the man.

"My, my. I did warn you I would try to answer it as best as I could."

"That was your _best?_ "

"For now? Yes."

Xiumin then loses a pawn to the man who grins as he looks over the chess board.

"So tell me Xiumin, what made you want to become an agent?"

"I can't tell you that." Xiumin replied flatly. "It's none of your business."

The man pouted. "Ah, well I can't blame you for not telling me. I dodged the first question earlier. Not everyone wants you have their little monologue, I suppose."

They continued like that, silently moving the pieces on the board to take out one another. And they kept dodging each other's questions in order to keep their secrets. It wasn't long before Xiumin realize he was losing. The young man had amassed more than half of Xiumin's pieces. He plucked Xiumin's knight off the board after destroying it with his queen.

"Xiumin?"

"Yes?"

The young man smiled again, more to himself this time.

"Do you know what happens to a chess game when the knight falls?"

"I suppose I lose."

"No, I mean in real life." The man hummed, examining Xiumin's knight piece in the palm of his hand. "The knight might not be the most powerful or the most willing to follow his leader around, but his skill set is unique and gets him the recognition that he is someone who is needed frequently. The knights of society are the people who are really good at tasks given to them. They hardly ever stray from their tasks."

Xiumin was at a loss for words. Instead of answering, he shifted his rook across the board, in position to kill the man's king piece.

"I'll tell you since you don't seem to know." The young man ran a slim finger over the arch of the knight. "When you lose your knight, or knights, the team fails. The knight is necessary no matter what. Without them, the team is useless, unable to complete orders, unable to protect a king. Knights are specialized in certain tasks that only they can complete. Take away someone's knight, and you've already won more than half the battle."

The young man set the knight piece down as he looked over the board.

"Checkmate."

With a smooth push, the man knocked over Xiumin's king, with his queen letting the crystal piece topple over loudly. Xiumin blinked in surprise.

"How?"

"I gave you a distraction." The young man gestured at his king piece. "You took the bait."

"I lost." Xiumin sighed in resignation. "You win."

"Thank you. This was a very interesting game." The young man smiled. "I think now, we can talk about what you wanted."

"Are you going to tell me who you are?"

"Nope." The man popped the "p" childishly. "This is a masquerade party after all. Wouldn't it be too boring if you knew every face under every mask?"

"Fine." Xiumin folded his arms across his chest. "At least tell me why you called me here."

"We have a common interest."

"That being?"

"The Aetherius Aurora."

Xiumin's eyes narrowed at the man from under his mask.

"Oh don't look at me like that." The man laughed. "I'm not here because I want the diamond. I want what you want. I want it out of Blackpink's hands. The diamond should be returned to its proper place. Such a valuable jewel does not belong in the hands of such filthy criminals. I'm sure you understand."

Xiumin regarded the man quietly, watching his movements for a hidden signal. There was none.

"So what do you want?"

"I want you to beat Blackpink of course! You and your team are a bit behind Blackpink at the moment. I'm going to help you get ahead."

Xiumin silently weighed his options. Attack the guy and possibly get killed by hidden enemy agents or get the information.

"I'm listening."

"Good."

"Blackpink is working with a young man in Seoul by the nickname Virus."

Xiumin's eyes widened at the name.

"Ah, I see you've heard of him." The man pulled out a small photograph and slid it over to Xiumin. Xiumin looked over the photo carefully.

"His real name is Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol. He's young. Early twenties, smart. Had a bit of trouble getting into fights at school, but overall a good kid. He recently stopped attending his classes at Seoul University, yet somehow he remains the top of his class. His sister is a rising news anchor, channel seven in the evenings. He frequently works at his parents' restaurant called Viva La Polo. It has great food by the way. And---."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well Virus, I mean Chanyeol here has a set of skills you're going to _need_." The young man leaned against his right hand pointing at the picture in Xiumin's hand. "Especially if you're going to win that race in Busan. He just finished a commission on four cars with NOS fixtures for Blackpink. I doubt your agency cars will be able to keep up in a race with something like that. Plus Virus is friendly with one of the Blackpink members. Rosé. I'm not entirely sure how, but I'm certain you can figure that out on your own."

Xiumin nodded. "Well thank you."

"One more thing." The young man stopped Xiumin from leaving his chair. "Here's an address. A source of mine told me Blackpink has the Aetherius Aurora holed up in there."

Xiumin took the slip of paper, committing the address to memory.

"Well then. My job here is done. I wish you well on your mission."

"Are you K?" Xiumin stared hard at the man wondering if he was the faceless leader of the SM agency.

"K? Who's that?" The man frowned before smiling again. "Oh! You think I'm your boss?"

The man chuckled, one hand patted Xiumin on the back while the other tried to muffle his loud amusement.

"I'm not your boss. Sorry. But if it makes you feel any better, you can call me J."

"Jay?" Xiumin asked. 

"Just the letter." J smiled.

He had done that a lot. Smiling widely but genuinely. Which had been odd to Xiumin. What kind of person could smile like that all the time. It was suspicious, but J had just given him important information. Information that could help his team get the diamond back.

They walked to the front of the room, stopping in front of the door. J turned to Xiumin, his eyes twinkling behind his alabaster flower mask.

"I have a feeling we'll meet again Xiumin. Please do stay safe until then. I would love to play another chess match."

"I can't guarantee that. Let alone seeing you again." Xiumin snorted. "I can only say goodbye."

With that Xiumin left the room with J staring at his back.

J hummed happily as he watched Xiumin disappear down the bend of the hallway. In the dim light, a crude smile cut across the young man's handsome features twisting his once elegant face into the likes of a madman. He licked his lower lip in heady anticipation, like a snake testing the air for its prey. He raised a hand to his face, pulling the mask away as he laughed softly to himself.

He really did love a good game. And now he had one.

" _You_ may not be able to guarantee us meeting again Xiumin. But _I_ can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
> 
> Hello this is Greyscale! (*reporting live from under a pile of disorganized papers*)
> 
> This is the 17th chapter everyone! I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I actually can't believe I've made it this far! I would like to thank each and everyone of you for reading this fic. Some of you might not know it, but the comments you leave make me very happy. They give me more energy to keep writing. I enjoy reading them and I really don't mind you leaving comments (as long as they are respectful ones). 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think about it so far. Don't worry this isn't the end of the party for team Exo, they have one more chapter to go!
> 
> P.S. Come talk to me on Instagram! My account is @realgrey_scale.
> 
> What do you think so far? Who do you think is the mysterious J? Let me know in the comments.
> 
> See you later, alligator! (≧▽≦)/


	18. Chapter 18

0:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E 

Baekhyun wanted to smash his head into the bar table, but he couldn't. Not with a mission to finish. So he sat there and listened, like he was interested. The room was getting hotter and Baekhyun felt suffocated under his mask. He kept waving his fan slowly trying to keep air circulating around him but it was almost no use. 

"Well, enough about me. Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, miss?" Bobby arched an eyebrow inquisitively.

He was too close for Baekhyun's comfort. His expensive cologne made the air hard to breathe and Baekhyun found himself keeping his fan close to his face. Why the hell did guys with so much money feel the need to drown themselves in cologne? Probably to mask something. Baekhyun kept his face from pinching into a frown as he caught another whiff of Bobby’s cologne. He needed info on the race from Bobby, but here Bobby was chatting it up like it was an after church Sunday brunch party.

"Moon. You can call me Ruya Moon."

"Ruya isn't Korean is it?" Bobby smiled knowingly.

"No it's not. I changed my name. The one my parents gave me sucked. Anyone in Korea could have my old name. I wanted something different." The lie is easy and it slips from Baekhyun's lips with practiced ease.

Bobby nodded. "We're the same then."

Baekhyun waved his fan slowly, subtly trying to shoo the cologne back to Bobby.

"How so?"

"Two souls, stuck in a world they both know they're bigger than."

Baekhyun arched an eyebrow snapping his fan closed.

"Is that a line from some c-list romance drama?"

Bobby blinked before laughing out loud.

"No. I made it up myself. Why? Did it sound like that?"

"It did."

Bobby laughed a bit harder and Baekhyun used the opportunity to scan the room. The party has gotten even wilder. Guests danced harder than they had before to the pounding music, gyrating on one another in an effort to bring someone home for the night. There was still no sign of Xiumin. Wherever he had gone, he was out of Baekhyun's reach now and so was the rest of the team.

"Ruya you're straight forward. I like that. Most people try to kiss my ass."

"Why would they?" Baekhyun snorted.

_With all that cologne? Please._

Bobby's face got serious, his eyes flashed coldly and in a moment, Baekhyun realized he had said the wrong thing. After all Bobby was part of iKon. He was the second in command, powerful, feared, hated.

"I mean, you don't seem like a mean guy." Baekhyun was sure to keep his tone even and at ease. If Bobby caught a slip, even the smallest one, Baekhyun's cover would end up in tatters and he would end up deader than dead.

"Well, I'm a big guy around here." Bobby winked.

Baekhyun knew this was his cue. He leaned in towards Bobby smiling as seductively as he could. The sooner he got his info, the sooner he could jump ship.

"Oh my, why don't you tell me more?"

Bobby grinned and slipped his hand over Baekhyun's.

"Of course. Why don't we go somewhere quieter?"

Baekhyun frowned from behind his mask. Now that was unexpected. Baekhyun preferred to toy around and flirt. Xiumin, Kai, and Suho were yet to come back, which meant no one had his back if something went wrong.

"I like it here more." Baekhyun countered. "Plenty of drinks."

Bobby shook his head. "I'm pretty sure the VIP section of this place has way better drinks. All of them are on me. Just for you, Ruya."

Baekhyun tipped his head, contemplating the possible outcomes of going with Bobby.

"Fine. But those drinks better be good." Baekhyun smirked at Bobby.

"Don't worry, they are."

Baekhyun unfurled his fan, keeping it close to his face as he linked arms with Bobby. He glanced around the room once more, searching for his teammates and found no one. Sighing to himself, Baekhyun felt alone. It wasn't the first time he had gone somewhere with a target, but he usually had Chen, Kai, or Xiumin in his ear. Straightening his shoulders Baekhyun walked beside Bobby, hoping that the other agents were safe. If not, he'd have to handle Bobby and whoever was in the VIP section by himself.

The two of them left the loud ballroom and entered the quiet hotel hallway. In silence, Bobby led Baekhyun to the elevator down the hall. Once inside, Bobby hit the singular "B" button.  
"You're taking me to the basement?" Baekhyun arched an eyebrow. "I've never heard of a VIP section in the basement."

Bobby laughed. "Have a little faith. I promise the VIP section isn't a bunch of rusted pipes."

Bobby kept his promise, because when the elevator doors opened, there was a clean floor waiting for them. He led Baekhyun to a single door after a couple turns. The room they entered was light brightly. Instantly the noise from the party was silenced and replaced with smooth jazz being played by a live quartet behind a beaded curtain. In the middle of the room was a large oak wood table, with matching chairs. To Baekhyun's right there was a well stocked bar with refreshments lining the expensive marble top counter. The entire room was sleek looking, like something out of a magazine.

A very muscular man was already sitting in one of the seats at the long table. He wore no mask and had long thick dreadlocks that were elegantly pulled back from his face in a high ponytail. A single silver earring attached to a small chain, in one ear, made his deep brown skin look warm in the fluorescent light. The man nodded his head in silent greeting, dark eyes watching Bobby and Baekhyun with little interest.

Baekhyun remembered the man's face from the mission briefing earlier that day. 

Bakari Najoma, the weapons dealer from Kenya.

"Bakari, you're early." Bobby greeted in English with a smile as he pulled out a chair for Baekhyun.

"I prefer business to childish parties." Bakari rumpled in reply. His off white suit appeared to struggle to contain his large frame. Every movement he made was emphasized by his flexing muscles.

"Would you like something to drink Ruya?" Bobby glanced at Baekhyun.

"Water is fine." Baekhyun kept his fan close to his face. This was not the place to have his disguise fail.

Bakari's dark eyes met Baekhyun's briefly and Baekhyun wondered if he had been found out.

"What is your name?"

"Ruya."

Bakari's eyes narrowed. "I have never heard of you before."

Baekhyun was saved from answering Bakari by Bobby.

"Relax, Ruya here is my friend for the night."

Bakari rolled his eyes. "I see."

"Starting without us Bobby?"

Baekhyun watched as the other members of iKon filed in, with B.I behind them. Then the other international guests, James Wellington, Duchess Fairchild, Wei Linh, Marcellano Cortez, and a mysterious tall young man, Baekhyun didn't recognize, in a white flower mask.

B.I's eyes flicked to Baekhyun then to Bobby.

"Why is there a girl here?"

"Calm down. Ruya won't tell anyone, right?"

Baekhyun nodded his head. "My lips are sealed."

"It should be more than your lips. If I find out that you breathed a word of this to anyone and I will personally cut your mouth out." B.I snarled coldly.

Silence filled the room. Jay, who had taken the seat next to Baekhyun, shook his head.

"Ignore B.I, he's a wet blanket on any party." Jay smiled kindly.

Baekhyun returned the smile weakly.

This was going to be a long night.

\---

Chen's vision swam in front of him as he struggled to his feet. Black dots danced before his eyes as blood trickled down the side of his face. His valet coat had been slashed to ribbons and blood flowed ceaselessly from the various knicks on his arms and legs. He had greatly underestimated Jennie and she had made him pay dearly for it. He staggered forward, awkwardly balancing himself against the side of a car with one bloody hand. There had to be something coated on Jennie's knives, because Chen was feeling too dizzy. The only thing intact on him was his hat and medical mask. Such flimsy things were the only things keeping Chen's identity hidden. He huffed, slowly pushing himself forward as he heard Jennie begin to advance on him from behind.

"Going somewhere already?" Jennie sneered. "We just met."

She dragged the tip of her knife against the side of a car as she walked towards Chen's shaking form, leaving a wicked scratch on its once flawless surface. A simple warning of what was going to happen to him.

Chen mentally cursed as his knees trembled. Xiumin had told them not to bring weapons since the were on a strict recon mission. Now he was stuck defenseless against a ruthless criminal. He had lost track of Lay when they had first split up and he hoped that the other agent had contacted the rest of the team. If not, they would be really done for. Summoning the last bit of his strength, Chen pushed himself upright looking Jennie square in the eye.

"Who are you?" Jennie tapped the knife on her hand. "Who do you work for?"

Chen didn't answer, he focused on her face, desperately trying to will away the other two versions of her that danced before his eyes.

Jennie tipped her head, waiting for an answer. When Chen gave her nothing she pursed her lips.

"Fine. I'll just cut the truth out of you."

Jennie lunged all speed and skill as she raised the knife to Chen's throat.

"Get down!"

Suddenly Lay appeared behind Chen, forcing him down as he leapt over Chen at Jennie. Lay kicked up, knocking Jennie back onto a car with a crash.

"Shit, Chen are you alright?" Lay turned to take in Chen's prone form propped up against the parking lot light.

"Do I look alright to you?" Chen huffed. He whipped the blood dripping from his mouth. "She's sliced me a bit, but other than that I'm fine. Watch her blades she's got something coated on them. It made me too dizzy to fight."

Lay tossed Chen his comm.

"Contact the others. I'll handle her."

"Now that's the boldest thing anyone has said to me today."

Jennie stalked towards Lay. She hadn't thought that the man she had been previously fighting had backup. This was a problem. Were they after Blackpink? The Aetherius Aurora? One of their guests? Jennie glared at the two men. There was no way she was going to let the ruin what her team had worked so hard for.

"Go." Lay hissed.

Chen nodded silently, before slipping the comm into his ear and limping into the dark.

Lay turned to face Jennie. He readied his stance, keeping one foot planted firmly before the other. He had read her file extensively when D.O had told him and Sehun that they would be joining Xiumin's team. Jennie was well trained in mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, Judo, and Jujitsu. She would not be easy to fight.

"I've seen that you're a good fighter. Try not to disappoint me."

Jennie arched an eyebrow. "You've got some nerve. I think I'll enjoy breaking you."

Lay didn't answer, he merely stretched out his hand and beckoned at Jennie slowly.

Jennie smirked, his fighting stance was similar to the man from before, what was his name? Chen? That only meant the two would have the same form. She had studied his other teammate during their little tiff and he had been too easy, especially with the chemical Lisa had slipped onto her blades.

Jennie moved quickly. She knew this match would be over soon.

Lay kept his eyes on Jennie, shifting slightly every time Jennie moved.

Then it happened in a split second. One moment Jennie had been standing by the car, the next, she was raising her knife up to Lay's eye. Lay leaned backward, drawing his flexibility from long hours spent in the dance studio. He grabbed her wrist as she aimed for his face and forced Jennie's hand up. Her guard was gone and Lay struck, bringing his knee up into her ribs. Jennie was faster, instantly blocking his attack with her other hand. They sprang apart, breathing hard as they watched each other.

Jennie's eyes narrowed as she watched Lay. He was faster than Chen and more agile. Lay landed lightly on his feet, settling with ease onto the pavement without a sound. He gave Jennie a small dimpled smile, one that told her she had only been lucky to get away. Jennie glared, this time she would get him. Sprinting forward Jennie threw one blade at Lay, and kept the other close to herself.

Lay dodged the first blade before stepping into Jennie's space. He brought his left hand to block the other knife, only to get cut by the a new knife Jennie had pulled from a sheath around her thigh. Hissing Lay pulled away quickly, grabbing his arm as leapt back.

"Most guys don't survive getting that close to me." Jennie smiled coldly. "Lucky you. How exactly do you think you can fight without a weapon?"

Lay didn't let the smile on Jennie's face stay for long, despite the stinging in his arm, Lay spurred forward. Before Jennie could react, Lay saw behind her. Suddenly a sharp stinging sensation made Jennie gasp. The sleeves of her dress were cut, thin red lines had appeared on her arms, swelling before the skin broke, slowly releasing crimson droplets of blood that dripped down to her wrists.

Jennie whirled around to look at Lay. 

_He had cut her._

Before a word could leave her lips, Lay came again, much faster than before. His ducked under her swings and sidestepped her kicks. Jennie noticed something glimmer in Lay's hand, but it was gone just as quickly as she had seen it. Lay was in front of her again, this time his eyes smiled kindly before he delivered a blow that knocked Jennie off her feet. Jennie tumbled to the ground, rolling quickly so she came up on her left knee. Before she could reorient herself, Lay was attacking again, that small glimmering thing cutting Jennie's arms, too fast for her to see, once again. It was starting to get annoying to Jennie. She had yet to get anything out of the other man and she was being beaten too. Gritting her teeth, Jennie pulled herself to her feet as Lay circled around her warily.

"You know most guys wouldn't hit a girl." Jennie pulled herself to her feet, brushing tenderly at the cuts on her arm.

Lay shrugged in response. He would rather end their fight quickly, but Jennie was stubbornly quick. He had been aiming at her pressure points in an attempt to immobilize her, but it appeared Jennie somehow knew what he was doing. She couldn't move fast enough to dodge him, but she could move fast enough to prevent him from hitting her pressure points. Jennie watched Lay's hands, trying to find what he was using to wound her. Then she saw it. It was thin like a needle, double edged, as clear as glass, and long. It was at least the length her forearm. She had seen it before in only one place. China.

During a trade with an old gang in Shanghai, one of the gang members had been armed with a similar weapon. Such a weapon could easily be stored up anywhere on the body, multiple could be hidden at a time on one person. In combat it was practically undetectable, leaving mostly slit throats and ghastly wounds in its wake.

Lay stood silently waiting to see if Jennie would make a move. Jennie smirked. Once she got her hands on that blade, she would make him regret the day he was born. The two charged, throwing all they had at one another.

Jennie darted under Lay's outstretched hand, aiming her knife for his side only to be blocked. Instantly Jennie felt the air leave her lungs as Lay sent his open palm upward into her stomach. Then a painfully sharp tingling sensation filled her inner right arm, then subsided to numbness. The knife slipped out of Jennie's fingers, clattering to the ground with eerie finality. Suddenly, Jennie could no longer feel her arm or her fingers. Lay had hit two pressure points on her body. One at the bicep and another at her brachial plexus. Her right side was useless.  
Jennie stepped back away from Lay who continued to advance. She knew that the numbness would leave in a minute or two, but that was plenty of time for Lay to deal her some even more serious damage. Especially with that slim blade up his sleeve.

"Jennie!" Jisoo's voice rang in Jennie's comm unit. "Jennie where are you?"

"I'm busy."

"The meeting is starting. I need you here. Now."

Jennie looked at Lay, who had oddly not attacked her while she was distracted by Jisoo.

"I'm coming."

Jennie turned away briefly before looking back at Lay.

"I hope you know that this isn't over. The next time we meet, I won't play so nice. Tell your little friend I said hi."

Lay tipped his head, watching Jennie with narrowed eyes. He didn't care much for Jennie's words. As long as she was away from Chen, then Lay would let her go. After all, this was supposed to be a recon mission, with no combat required. But Lay knew better than to believe that the mission would be easy, so he had kept a weapon with him.

"Run if you want. I don't really care." Lay turned away, leaving Jennie staring at the spot he had once been.

Her arm was still useless to her, so Jennie hugged it gingerly to her chest, before turning to the W hotel. Today was supposed to begin a celebration, but now there was someone after them. She needed to warn Jisoo. They could tighten security and double up on guards for the Aetherius Aurora. They would need it.

"Jennie?" Jisoo snapped impatiently in her ear. "I called you ages ago. Where are you?"

"On my way." Jennie sighed. She would need a new dress considering the dried blood and rips in her current one. Thankfully she knew where to get one.

"Jisoo, you brought an extra dress, right?"

"I did. Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to need it."

\---

Suho struggled to keep up with Kai's brisk pace. The younger agent moved with a fluidity that rivaled water itself as he cut swiftly through the crowd of people in the lobby of the W hotel. Suho quickly switched from walking to jogging, frequently mumbling apologizes as he bumped into people. He caught up with Kai once they were outside. The night was cool on Suho's skin. He shivered slightly as he moved to join Kai who was looking over a map projected from his watch.

"Any idea where Chen and Lay are?"

"No." Kai frowned. There was a singular red dot blinking in and out on the map. There should have been two.

Kai tapped his comm unit, opening it to the team frequency.

"Lay? Chen? Come in? Where are you?"

There was a soft fizzing before Kai heard a voice.

"Hah. Good. I had a feeling you guys would come looking for us."

It was Chen. His breathing sounded oddly labored. Like he had been running a marathon.

"Chen? Are you alright." Kai gestured to Suho to follow him. "We're coming to you. Where is Lay? I only saw one mark on the map."

"I'm in the van. Kai, Lay and I met Jennie. Well, I met her first, and she did a number on me. My comm got trashed in my fight with Jennie. Lay bought me some time and gave me his comm. I don't know where he is, or if he's okay."

Kai blinked in shock. "I thought we weren't supposed to engage in combat."

"You think I didn't know that?" Chen snapped back. "Lay and I split up to hide, but she found me first and tried to slice me to bits."

"Then we'll come to you."

"What about Lay?" Chen blurted. "He's out there with no comm. What if he's hurt?"

"One thing at a time." Kai replied. "We'll get to you first. Suho needs your tablet, he has to manually disable the Phantom program Rosé has running in the wifi."

"Fine," Chen replied. "Just get here fast, these cuts hurt like hell."

When Suho and Kai reached the van, the side door was pulled back, revealing a very wounded Chen inside. He sat struggling with bandages, some wrapped around his arms, others strewn about the van floor in disarray with others hanging loosely around his upper torso.

"Hey." Chen smiled weakly.

Chen looked cheerful but it didn't match his appearance. He looked bloody and exhausted. Lacerations covered his slim frame, they were thankfully all flesh wounds, but still painful nonetheless. His bottom lip was busted, with dried blood trailing down his chin, and his valet coat, which lay at his feet, was in ribbons.

Suho gasped.

"Relax rookie." Chen chuckled, stopping short with a wince of pain. "I've been through worse."

Kai rushed forward, helping Chen bandage his arms and apply ointment to the skin around his cuts.

"How did this happen?" Kai hissed. His brows were knitted in worry.

"I told you, Xiumin said no weapons. I didn't think Jennie was that good. I was wrong."

Suddenly there was a loud knocking sound on the side of the van. Everyone tensed. Suho kept close to Kai, eyes flitting around anxiously.

"What was that?" He whispered.

"Can you open the door?" Lay's annoyed voice snapped from outside the van.

"Lay? You're alive?" Suho blinked as he welcomed the agent inside.

"All ten fingers and toes." Lay smiled.

He looked much better than Chen, save for the tear in the sleeve of his valet coat.

"You look pretty good for someone who just went up against Jennie." Kai frowned.

"I'm faster than her." Lay replied. He looked Chen over briefly. "How are you holding up?"

"Just peachy." Chen sighed. "How did you get away from her anyway?"

"She upped and left in the middle of our fight." Lay pulled out a thin glass blade from the inside of his sleeve. "And I may or may not have scratched her up a bit."  
"Is she out?" Kai asked.

"No. She's at the hotel. I have no idea why. She got called off, I think. Speaking of questions. What are you two doing here? I thought you had recon to do?" Lay glanced at Suho briefly before turning to Kai.

"We need Chen's tablet."

Chen pointed to his bag on the floor.

"It's in there. Do what you need to do. Lay and I managed to tag iKon's cars, as well as some international guests' cars too."

"Blackpink?" Kai prompted.

"They came in a limo. It left as soon as they got here." Lay replied. "You two go. I'll take care of Chen."

Kai nodded. "So no trace on them."

"They're being careful. Keep in mind, Jennie will be expecting trouble. She already encountered Chen and I. Her guard will probably be up for the rest of the evening." Lay reminded them.  
Suho picked up the tablet after looking in Chen's bag.

"There's a password."

"Five, six, nineteen ninety-two." Chen replied.

Suho and Kai left the van, hurrying back to the hotel.

"L pull up a blueprint of the W hotel." Kai instructed the A.I.

"Displaying W hotel now."

A bright blue map hovered over Kai's wrist as Suho peered over his shoulder.

"Right there." Suho tapped a room in the hotel's basement level. "That's the electrical room. I'm sure that's where Rosé has the Phantom program running from."

"Fine then." Kai examined the blueprint briefly before turning it off. "We get there and you stop the program. I'll keep a look out while you work."

\---

She could feel her arm now.

Jennie slowly flexed her fingers as she walked into the waiting room Jisoo had set aside for Blackpink before their meeting.

"Jennie, what happened?!"

Jisoo rushed forward, wide eyes taking in the sight of Jennie's many injuries. Her hair was messy, the once neat braid, undone and frizzy. Her red dress hung around her body in strips, no longer having its form-fitting elegance.

"Oh, oh my gosh. How? Who did this?" Jisoo grabbed Jennie's hand, looking at the small cuts scattered about on her arm. Jisoo grabbed Jennie’s face with delicate hands, turning her head side to side to check for other injuries.

Jennie pulled away. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"No you're not. Who was it? I can send someone after them. I can make them pay for this."

Jennie yanked her arm out of Jisoo's grip.

"I said, I'm fine. Besides, if there is anyone who's going to be going after them, it's me."

"What happened?"

"I caught some guy in the parking lot, definitely didn't belong there. I was going to end him, when a friend of his showed up. Both of them were masked, so I have no idea what they even look like. His friend was much faster and much stronger. He even hit two pressure points on me." Jennie sighed. "We need to keep an extra eye on anyone suspicious. Where are Lisa and Rosé?"  
"They're already at the meeting keeping guests entertained."

"I need that new dress."

Jisoo hurried to the closet of the hotel room, pulling out a beautiful long sleeved black dress. It so dark, it looked nearly blue in the light. The dress had a low cut in the back, enough to show off Jennie's back. It was a weakness in any fight to have one’s back unprotected, that and the all too prominent slit in the side.

Jennie arched an eyebrow at the slit as Jisoo handed her the dress.

"Look at the open back and slit as an asset. You won't be confined, you can move around all you want."

"Yeah, okay." Jennie muttered. She tugged on the dress after putting bandaids on her cuts. Jennie had an eerie feeling that the man with the glass needle knife had gone easy on her and the thought was terrifying. Glancing herself over in the mirror, Jennie was glad the dress was long sleeved. It would at least hide the bandaids.

"Ready?" Jisoo stood by the door, a pink mask in hand.

Jennie slipped her mask, willing away the pain in her arms with steely resolve. She gave Jisoo a sharp nod.

"Ready."  
\---  
Suho was sure that beating a program should not have been so hard. He glared furiously at the error box that flashed on the tablet screen for what had to be the millionth time. 

Great. So Rosé _did_ have counter measures in place.

"Suho?" Kai called in his comm. "How's it going?"

"I'm going to need more time."

"More?"

Suho could hear Kai's frown through the comm.

"Apparently Rosé layered the Phantom program's security. I'm getting through it. Anything from the others?"

"No, I haven't contacted them yet. Should I try?"

"Yes, I need to know if Xiumin is okay." Suho replied as he finally broke through the fifth firewall.

Suddenly the tablet screen flashed brightly and began to show incredible volumes of code. Suho grinned. He finally had access to the Phantom program. Chen had mentioned to him earlier that Rosé left highlighted codes in the shape of a rose within the program data. Suho knew better than to try and investigate the highlighted code. There was another day for that. Right now he just needed to disable the blocks in the wifi. Then there was a loud crackling in Suho's ear.

"Geez! Is there anyone on this frequency?" Baekhyun's anxious voice rang loudly.

"Baekhyun!" Kai sighed in relief. "How have you been?"

There was a brief rustling sound followed by a sigh.

"I'm with Bobby right now. He took me down to this secret room in the basement. All the international guests, iKon, and Blackpink are here."

"And you're there by yourself?" Xiumin's voice crackled through the comm. His voice was met by enthusiastic greetings from the other agents.

"Good to know you're is one piece, Xiumin." Baekhyun snorted. "But, yeah. I'm all by myself in a room with some of the world's most dangerous people. Well, to be specific I'm in the bathroom right now, but I just thought you should know."

Baekhyun leaned forward in front of the large mirror, touching up his lipstick.

"And no one has seen through you, yet?" Kai asked. "Don't you think you should leave that place?"

"And what? Come out of this mission empty handed?" Baekhyun scoffed. "I can handle myself. How are Chen and Lay?"

Kai thought quietly as he scanned the basement hallway. No guards had come to check anything yet. Kai wanted to feel happy about it, it honestly made his look-out job much easier, but it was odd. Definitely suspicious. He would go investigate, but that would leave Suho open to any attacks.

"Kai? Did you hear me?" Baekhyun pressed. "Are Chen and Lay okay?"

“Chen and Lay had a little showdown with Jennie.” Kai replied. “They’re fine though.”

Baekhyun made a noise of discontent.

“How fine?”

“I’m fine Baekhyun.” Chen joined the comm link.

“Wow, so now you decide to make your presence known.” Baekhyun scolded Chen.

“Actually,” Suho interjected. “I managed to break the block preventing us from communicating from outside the building.”

“Good job rookie.” Chen laughed.

“Suho, L still can’t access some of her features. Can you try to upload her to the network?” Xiumin asked. “Maybe Baekhyun can record whatever goes down in the meeting.”

“On it.” Suho chirped.

“So how long until all systems are online?” Kai walked down to the end of the hallway, glancing side to side for any incoming guards.

“A couple more minutes.” Suho replied. “I’ll work on uploading L so Baekhyun can record.”

“Try to hurry.” Baekhyun hissed. “I don’t know how long I can pretend to be fixing my make-up.”

“Pretend you got sick.” Kai suggested.

“On what?” Baekhyun muttered as he tugged on his wig, it was starting to slide. “Air? I’ve only had one drink. That’s not enough to get sick.”

“I’m sure it’s enough to get constipated.” Chen chimed in.

“Oh, shut up you!” 

Laughter erupted through the comm link as Baekhyun huffed in annoyance.

“You know what? Next mission I’d like to see you all dolled up like this, since you think my job is so easy.”

Kai felt the knife before he could see it. It was pressed flat against his skin, right where is carotid artery is. Cold steel against the underside of his jaw sings a warning for Kai, one much too late.

He had been caught.

"My, my. Why hello there pretty boy." The voice chuckled, more amused than sinister. "Why don't you turn around nice and easy for me? Hands up too."

Kai pushed a small knob on the side of his watch, hoping the other members get his distress call. He knew he had no choice but to obey the command. The one comfort he had, in the entire situation, was his mask. At least whoever was behind him, wouldn’t know what he looked like. Kai slowly did as he was told.

"That's a good boy." The voice purrs. "You're so well behaved, I like that in a man."

“Kai?” Xiumin asked. “Kai, are you alright?”

Kai didn’t have time to reply.

When he saw her, he knew who she was. Well not exactly, but somewhat. 

Jennie Kim.

A midnight black dress hugs her slim figure, tugging on the shadows around them to enhance her look. Her hair is up in an elegant bun, making her look fiercer than the profile picture in the briefing file. She wore a matching black mask. It's plain, without any decorations, but it is beautiful against her pale skin. She is an obsidian enigma in the dim light of the basement, and Kai finds himself wanting to know more. Jennie's lips, redder than blood, twist into an amused smirk as she presses the knife harder against his neck, slowly backing him up against the cold pipes.

"Lisa was right. They do keep the best things in the basement."

“Kai who is talking?” Xiumin pressed. “Kai? Kai! I’m heading your way now.” 

Kai gulped. He was in no position to fight and Suho was no less than a few feet away, trying to breakdown Blackpink's Phantom program. If he fought her, what would happen if she had backup? What if she found out about Suho? Suho was untrained and he could die if Jennie got to him.

"Aren't you going to give me some sort of excuse?" Jennie tipped her head, watching the Kai closely.

This was the third man she had run into, each attempting to sabotage Blackpink in some way. She wouldn't go easy on this one. No, she would not give him the benefit of the doubt. After the man with the needle knife in the parking lot, Jennie had learned her lesson. She would take no chances.

"Well?"

Kai winces as the knife begins to dig in, he thinks he's going to bleed soon, if he isn't already.

"I can't really give you an excuse if your knife slits my throat." Kai hissed as the blade pressed further into the skin of his throat.

Jennie pulled back the knife slightly and adjusted her grip, still keeping a firm hand on the knife.

"Who do you work for?"

"No one."

Jennie scoffed. "No one? Then what are you here for?"

Kai didn't bother to answer.

"Are you here for the diamond?" Jennie pressed.

Kai remained silent, hoping that he was buying Suho some more time.

For a moment he kept still, letting his body steadily coil, preparing for an instant snap of action. Then Kai moves. He aimed low first, but Jennie was ready for him. She slammed his forearm down and blocked it, twirling the knife skillfully between nimble fingers. Jennie spang back, putting a small gap between her and Kai. Kai used it, stepping into her space and aimed a swift kick at her hand that sent the knife into the air and under a mess of pipes. Jennie yelped, pulling her hand close to her chest for a moment. Jennie retaliated swiftly by yanking Kai down by his shoulders and bringing her knee up, twice into Kai's ribs. Kai stumbled back, clutching his side in pain as he gasped for air. Not letting him recover, Jennie attacked again, knocking Kai into the pipes with a nasty kick of her own. Kai crumpled to the ground, his vision swimming as pain flared across his head. Blood trickled down his face from a small cut at his hairline. Jennie was already racing forward again, snatching up her knife and pining Kai to the ground with one high heel.

_Shit._

"You know," Jennie huffed as she pushed her shoe into his chest. "Most guys would pay to be in a position like this."

"Oh? And I'm getting it for free?" Kai sneered. Her shoe was digging into his chest in the most uncomfortable way possible and it was pissing him off. "Lucky me."

Jennie arched an eyebrow. Instantly she was on top of Kai, her legs tight on either side of Kai's chest, painfully pinning his arms down. She was crushing him. Kai found himself wheezing as Jennie brought the knife back to his neck. Then, she abruptly moved the knife from his neck and began moving towards the string that attached his mask to his face.

She was going to unmask him.

"Since you won't tell me who you are, I'll find out myself. I never forget a face."

Just as the point of her knife was nearing the string by Kai's eye, they were interrupted.

"Enough Jennie."

Jennie whipped around, the knife point cutting into skin on Kai's cheek. He hissed slightly at the sudden stinging, biting back a swear as he feels blood running down his face.

Standing before Jennie was a slim young man in a white flower mask. Behind the mask, two dark eyes land on Kai with burning curiosity, before settling knowingly on Jennie.

"Jennie, why don't you leave our lovely guest alone?"

"He is not a guest." Jennie snarls.

"Oh? An intruder then?" The man muses. "I think you should just leave him. Look at how much you've scared him. He isn't a threat. He has no weapons."

Jennie turns back to Kai, her sharp eyes looking him over slowly, like she was weighing her options.

Kai felt instant relief when Jennie lifted herself off of his chest. Their eyes meet for a moment that feels like an eternity.

"I'll remember you."

With that Jennie walked to the mysterious man's side, the two of them vanishing into the hall, but not before the man threw Kai a teasing wink. Confused by the other man's actions, Kai pushed himself off the floor, dusting off his suit with a sigh. His first encounter with Jennie and he got his ass handed to him. 

Nice.

Kai didn’t even want to question Jennie's words. He had a feeling she meant exactly what she said. Suddenly, a hand reached out to Kai's shoulder out of the corner of his eye. He reacts instantly, taking the attackers hand and yanks them forward, pulling the unassuming person in a tight head lock.

Kai's gaze it met by Suho's frantic eyes and loud wheezing. Realizing who he's choking, Kai let go fast. Suho coughed, rubbing at his throat as he glared at Kai.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You were sneaking up on me."

"I came to tell you I finished breaking the Phantom program. I wasn't sneaking."

Suho straightened and leaned forward to get a good look at Kai. His eyebrows shot up past his hairline as he looked over Kai's rumpled appearance.

"Whoa, what happened to you?"

Kai grit his teeth, his mind replaying his swift defeat at Jennie's hands.

“Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.” Suho muttered, but didn’t pry further.

“Hey Baekhyun.” Suho called through the comm. “You can try L’s features now. I unblocked the network.”

“Aww, thanks love.” Baekhyun purred. “Well, I’ll get going now. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

Suho blushed, red spots warming his cheeks in the cool air of the basement.

“Whatever-- whatever it is, your mask should be able to record to conversation, plus L is uploaded to the network, so she will be there to guide you.”

“There you are!” Xiumin’s relief filled voice echoed through the hallway as he jogged towards them.

“Shhh!” Kai hissed at the elder. “Keep it down.”

Xiumin arched an eyebrow at Kai. He gave Kai a long once over, nearly identical to the one Suho had given him earlier.

“What happened to you?”

“Jennie happened.” Kai muttered. “She showed up here and kicked my ass. Some guy with a white mask stopped her from unmasking me.”

“Nothing my ass.” Suho muttered under his breath.

Xiumin handed Kai two small bandaids. 

“For your cheek and head.”

“Thanks.” Kai murmured, quickly placing the bandaids on his cuts.

“By the way, did you just mention a white mask?” Xiumin blinked. “Did it have flowers on it?”

“It did.” Kai frowned. “How do you know that?”

Xiumin pulled out a small photograph. 

“I played chess with the guy not to long ago. He told me who Virus was.”

“Who is he?” Suho took the photo, staring at the face of a man he did not know, in confusion.

“His name is Chanyeol, I suspect that he is Virus. We’ll see if whoever Sehun is seeing tonight matches this photo.” Xiumin took the photo and tucked it back into his pocket.

“You were playing chess?” Kai turned to look at Xiumin incredulously. “Are you serious?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice.” Xiumin sighed. “He already knew who I was. I had to play along. Instead of killing me, he gave me some info. And judging on what he did for you, then he must have known you were an agent too.”

“So you’re telling me that there is someone parading around this hotel that can break our covers and get us killed. And you did nothing?!”

“He seemed to be acting in good faith.”

“You’re too old to be this naive.” Kai snapped. “You know damn well that nothing is ever out of the kindness of someone’s heart. Not for us.”

“Would you have preferred I end up dead going up against someone I had never encountered in my life?” Xiumin shot back. “Kai you’re being irrational. Might I remind you, this is a recon mission. People aren’t even supposed to know that we are here. Going off and starting a fight will harm not just you, but the team itself.”

Suho stood silently watching Xiumin scolded Kai.

“You’re right.” Kai looked away. “I’m just worried. Someone who knows who we are. They helped us, but they’re also working with Blackpink. What if it’s a trap?”

“Then we will deal with it like we always do.” Xiumin replied. 

Suddenly a loud pinging rang from Kai and Xiumin’s watches. 

“L report.” Kai tapped the screen of his watch.

“Agent Baekhyun has sent out a distress signal. Immediate extraction is required.”

\---

“Get up.” 

Baekhyun’s eyelids dragged open with the speed of a drugged dog. His lashes lay low over his eyes, barely allowing him to see properly. Blurred figures surrounded him, like wraiths coming for the dying. Was he dying? 

The taste in his mouth was stale and metallic. 

Blood.

His mask was in pieces around the floor by his face. Some of the sharp pieces were digging into his cheek, cutting his skin through the thick make-up on his skin. His dress was torn and his wig had been taken off in the attack. He felt naked, his cover was broken. 

It had been stunningly quick. He thought he had been careful, but oh was he wrong.

“I said get up!”

A sharp kick from a scuffed boot dug painfully into Baekhyun’s stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. The force of the kick sent Baekhyun onto his back, groaning in pain.  
Baekhyun gasped weakly, bringing a hand over his stomach. 

_Fuck. That hurt._

In an instant, Baekhyun feels himself being pulled upright violently. Rough hands grab his arms with a bruising grip, threatening to rip into his skin like claws. iKon held him back. Bobby had his left arm, while Jay had his left. The other guests spectated from the table.

Lisa stroud forward, jerking his chin up with her sharp nails digging into the soft skin of his chin like knives.

“Oh my, Jisoo, he’s really pretty. Are you sure you want to do this?” Lisa asked as she looked into Baekhyun’s face.

“A message needs to be sent to whoever he’s working for.” Jisoo replied coolly as she stepped towards Baekhyun’s kneeling form. She crouched down to his level, looking down her nose at him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me who you’re working for?”

“Sorry.” Baekhyun pulled his bloody trembling lips into the shakiest smirk of his life. “I never kiss and tell.”

Jisoo tipped her head in chilling amusement. “I admire your loyalty. It’s really too bad.”

She turned to Jennie, who sat back watching quietly. 

“You were right. I’m sorry.” Jisoo whispered into Jennie’s ear.

“I did try to warn you. I knew something was up. Let’s just finish with him and go.”

Jennie let her eyes slide to J who sat swirling wine in his glass. Their eyes met and J smiled impishly. Jennie couldn’t help but wonder if J was going to stop them this time, like when he had stopped Jennie from slashing the man in the grey mask to bits.

“Jisoo.” Jennie hissed, grabbing isoo’s arm just before the elder pulled away.

“What is it?” Jisoo’s eyes searched Jennie troubled face, worried.

“It’s J. I don’t think we can trust him.”

“He’s one of our biggest investors Jennie.”

“He pulled me off a guy I caught wandering the hall near here. I don’t know why, but I think J saved him. On purpose.”

Jisoo bit her lip in thought letting her eyes rest on Baekhyun’s restrained form. “We’ll deal with J later. We need to deal with him now.”

Rosé leaned against the marble counter of the bar scrolling through her phone. She was bored out of her mind. iKon was holding down the girl-- no guy Bobby had brought for the night. The situation was almost laughable. 

Rosé’s phone had started pinging off when Bobby’s little friend had shown up. It turned out he had been there to record the meeting. That and the fact that the Phantom program Rosé had set up for the hotel was down. She had activated the back up program, but whoever was in the network now, was in. And they weren’t leaving.

“He’s not gonna talk Jisoo.” Rosé called at the elder. “Just kill him and get this over with.”

“Don’t you want to know who hacked your program?” Lisa chimed in. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone break through Phantom.”

Rosé’s right eye twitched. Yes, she did want to know. She hated that the program had been broken. Whoever had done it was smart. Capable. A threat.

“You think he knows?” Rosé jerked a thumb in Baekhyun’s direction.

“He does.” Lisa chirped. “And I’m gonna make him talk.”

Lisa made a show of walking up to Baekhyun who struggled to pull free of iKon’s bruising grip. She pulled a sleek looking pistol from her thigh holster. She giggled as she twirled the gun around her slim index finger as she crouched before Baekhyun.

“Why don’t we play a game of Russian Roulette, hm?” Lisa calmly loaded the gun with eight bullets before Baekhyun’s eyes.

“The gun can hold sixteen rounds, max. There are eight bullets in this gun now. I’ll click through the rounds, you might get shot, you might not.” Lisa grinned wildly.

There it was. Baekhyun thought to himself. Lisa’s crazy side. Her file had detailed that Lisa was good at getting the truth. Or really, she was good at torture. He tensed as the cold steel of the gun settled against his temple. 

Well, this time, his luck had run out.

He had always heard stories of agents who had died in the field. 

Cover broken and all alone.

Baekhyun began to shake. It was odd. He couldn’t stop himself. His body shook, all strength gone, leaving him fragile.

Did the others get his distress call? Did they even know where to find him? All of the sudden a million thoughts began to race through Baekhyun’s head at once. What would happen to Chen? Xiumin? Kai? Were they okay? Were they safe?

If he was going to die, he would do it alone. He refused to let the others risk themselves for him. 

“Well, mister.” Lisa thumbed the trigger. “Who do you work for?”

Baekhyun could feel sweat trickling down the nape of his neck as he shook.

“No one.”

Lisa pulled the trigger.

A hollow click sounds through the air, but Baekhyun doesn’t hear it.

His chest heaved as his heart pounded loud enough in his ears to convince him that he was still alive. 

Laughter filled the room. iKon roared, their heads thrown back mocking Baekhyun’s fear. Bakari grinned, all teeth, like a lion, while Duchess Fairchild merely sneered in disdain over her champagne glass. James Wellington, Wei Linh, and Marcellano Cortez cheered from the table, knocking their overflowing glasses together in a mocking toast. The man in the white mask watched quietly, expressionless. His eyes were trained on Baekhyun like a hawk.

“Looks like you got lucky.” Lisa chuckled. “I wonder how long you can keep this up.”

She moved the gun and trailed it down to his chest, purposely digging into Baekhyun’s chest, stopping just over his heart.

“Ready to go again?” Lisa whispers to Baekhyun like it’s a secret and he wants nothing more than to ---

There is a sudden loud bang. The air vent just above Bakari’s head smashes down onto his head, knocking the big hulk of a man unconscious. iKon move like a unit, all drawing their guns in one smooth motion aiming at the vent. Jisoo moves slowly, backing away from the door with her eyes trained on Bakari’s unconscious form. Jennie and Rosé move towards the door, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

“Who’s there?!” Bobby shouts as he nears the vent. His only answer is a large canister dropping to the table, exploding on impact. 

Chaos ensued.

Immediately the room fills with thick smoke and yelling. There are shouts and the sound of shots going off and bodies hitting the ground, with grunts of pain. Jay keeps his hold on Baekhyun, but it’s weakened. Baekhyun takes the opportunity and a flips Jay onto his back. Snatching the gun from his grip, Baekhyun knocks hard on the temple with the but of the gun.  
He can’t see more than a foot in front of him, so Baekhyun keeps his grip on the gun firm. He suddenly hears a yell of pain, followed by the sound of a body dropping. He can’t find Blackpink, or anyone in the smoke. He can’t even see the exit.

Baekhyun fumbles to find a wall, tripping over someone, to get to it. He drags himself across the wall, keeping the gun in front of him.

Through the smoke a gloved hand grabs him. Baekhyun opens his mouth to scream, but another hand covers his mouth.

“Shhh.”

_It’s D fucking O._

Baekhyun is ready to throw the other agent into the wall, but D.O lets go of him. He’s dressed in all black agency bulletproof tactical gear. A black mask covers the lower half of his face and his eyes shine hard at Baekhyun through the smoke. 

“Let’s get you out of here.” D.O jerks his head up, and just above them, Baekhyun can see the vent D.O came from.

“I didn’t need your help.” Baekhyun snarled. 

Damn it. Of all the people to get saved by, it just had to be D.O. He would never live it down.

“Oh yes.” D.O sneered. “You totally had it under control. Cover broken and everything. I give you all a simple recon mission and none of you can seem to handle it. I clearly overestimated your abilities.”

If Baekhyun wasn’t so tired he would smash D.O’s mask in on that mouth of his. How dare this jerk just show up after being MIA for almost all the mission briefings and act like he ran the show.

“Boost me.” Baekhyun snaps.

D.O rolls his eyes but he does as Baekhyun says.

Baekhyun is glad he made sure to leave his heels on. The small noise of pain D.O makes as Baekhyun’s uses his hand as a launching pad, brings some satisfaction to Baekhyun. Soon they were in the vents and crawling to freedom. Baekhyun turns as D.O instructs until they stop at a vent exit. Baekhyun kicks the vent out, and jumps down onto the cool concrete just outside the W hotel.

“Where is everyone?” Baekhyun turned to D.O who had straightened from landing.

“They don’t know I’m here.”

“What?” Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed. “You came here without contacting the team? What are you even doing here anyway? Didn’t you have some stuff to sort out?”

D.O doesn’t bother to answer Baekhyun’s questions, merely brushing past him as he heads to the parking lot. 

“Do you have your comm unit? We need to contact the others. We’re done here.”

“My comm got smashed in case you didn’t notice the situation I was in earlier.” Baekhyun snapped. 

_What a jerk._

D.O pulled out his phone, quickly picking Xiumin’s number.

Xiumin picked up instantly.

“D.O we have a problem with our mission. Baekhyun sent out a distress call and we can’t find him.”

“Relax.” D.O sent Baekhyun a cool glance. “I got him out of his little predicament. We’re in the parking lot.”

“Oh? Is he okay?”

“He’s in one piece.” D.O replied.

“Good. Chen and Lay are in the van, we’ll meet you there.” Xiumin sighed in relief.

It was an awkward walk to the van. All of it in complete silence. Baekhyun spent the walk glaring at D.O’s back. The guy had the nerve to show up out of the blue and save him. First of all, how? Second of all, why? It was all confusing for Baekhyun and it irked him that D.O had saved him. Don’t get him wrong, he was happy to be alive. But he’d rather get bit by a black Mamba than getting saved by D.O.

“Baekhyun!” Chen’s shocked face greeted him as the van doors opened. 

Baekhyun winced as Chen yanked him in and began fussing over him.

“Shit, you’re gonna have a lot of bruises.” 

“You look worse.” Baekhyun couldn’t help but stare at the bandages around Chen’s arms. He had some on his back as well as on his shoulders.

“‘M fine.” Chen shrugged. “Lay helped me out.”

It wasn’t long before the rest of the team had crowded into the van. Xiumin cast worried looks at Chen and Baekhyun who had been hurt the worst during their recon mission. D.O stood outside the van, refusing to come in. He beckoned Xiumin aside while the rest tended to the injured.

“How did you get here?” Xiumin’s eyes narrowed at D.O. “Is this about Kai’s evaluation?”

“Partly.” D.O replied. “I was keeping an eye on all of you.”

Xiumin folded his arms over his chest. “Really? You don’t think we can handle a recon mission?”

“Two agents severely injured. Two minor. Covers broken. It will be a miracle if you guys recovered anything noteworthy.” D.O shot back.

Xiumin glared. “Are you serious right now? You barely participate in anything but you still want to call the shots? Maybe if you had been with us you might understand that Blackpink was more aware of us than we thought. You’re evaluation Kai the same way you evaluated Baekhyun! Here I thought you had learned your lesson and changed. You don’t evaluate from a fucking cloud D.O you evaluate them as you work with them! That’s how you find a good agent. You’re doing it all wrong.”

D.O’s eyes darkened. 

“You really want to talk about errors Xiumin? Care to tell me how you brother found out you were an agent? If you can barely cover your back, how are you supposed to cover a team?!”

“Shut your fucking mouth about my brother.” Xiumin hissed coldly. “And just so you know, I’ve covered my team’s back and more. Don’t underestimate me. Until you start joining team missions, stay off.”

With that Xiumin turned on his heel, leaving D.O fuming. He hated how Xiumin was right. He hadn’t changed. He was still treating Kai the way he had treated Baekhyun and that had caused a disaster neither of them had seen coming. 

D.O turned away from the van and headed toward his motorcycle. He figured he owed Xiumin an apology about bringing up Suho. It had been a low blow but D.O had felt attacked by Xiumin’s pin-point analysis of his behavior. Pulling on his helmet, D.O started cycle and tore off into the night.

“What was that about?” Suho asked Xiumin as he reentered the van. 

The team had spectated Xiumin and D.O’s argument from afar, unable to hear the vicious words the two agents directed at each other.

“Nothing.” 

“It didn’t look like nothing.” Kai frowned as he placed an icepack on his head.

Xiumin’s eyes lingered on Kai briefly before turning to address the team.

_Poor kid had no idea._

“Just a difference in ideas, that’s all.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Lay offered. “I know he can be a bit stubborn sometimes.”

“Stubborn?” Xiumin snorted. “Try hard headed.”

“I told you guys it wouldn’t be a good idea to work with him.” Baekhyun chimed in. “He’s a jerk.”

“No name calling.” Xiumin sighed. “When we get back to H.Q. turn in any info you got from this mission and get some rest. Any information is good. Tomorrow morning our mission in Virus.”

Lay arched an eyebrow. “I thought Sehun was on him?”

“He is. We have a lead on his true identity. Anyone up for a retrieval mission?”

“I’ll do it.” Kai offered. “Tonight was kinda anticlimactic for me.”

"Stop watching Fast and the Furious.” Chen flicked a bandaid wrapper at Kai. “I can see it in your eyes. You want a car chase in the middle of Seoul, don’t you?”

“I--.” Kai sputtered.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear how you got your ass kicked by Jennie earlier either, punk. I think you’ve had a _very_ eventful night.” Chen continued. “ _‘You know, most guys would pay to be in a position like this.’_ "

Chen batted his eyelashes at Kai and made kissy faces.

At that the van erupted in laughter, as Kai fought to keep his face from turning red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello!
> 
> Greyscale is back! \\(≧▽≦)/ 
> 
> I'm really sorry for the long wait but this chapter took some time to re-edit and add to. This chapter is 9,624 words! Almost 10k, and that's the most I have ever written for this fic so far. w(°ｏ°)w 
> 
> For those of you who already read chapter 18, thank you for reading it again, and thank you for understanding my desire to improve my writing. I really appreciated the comments and you made me feel understood and appreciated. So thank you from the bottom of my heart! ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)*chu*
> 
> I don't think you guys have any idea how much your comments mean to me. They really help me find confidence in what I write and I think you should know that your comments are well appreciated. You could write an essay in the comments and I would reply to you. Don't ever feel like your comment is invalid or pointless (unless you're beating down on me... plz don't though, I'm a sensitive creature). Feel free to continue comment!
> 
> Also 112 kudos?! Thank you all so much! 
> 
> What did you think about this re-edited chapter? Thoughts on D.O's little spat with Xiumin? What did you think about D.O? Do you think Chen should tell Xiumin the truth?
> 
> BTW: I changed my Instagram account. Its @grreyscale now. Come say hi. 
> 
> I'm planning on posting mini fics and side stories on my Instagram account (and Twitter as well). Does anyone know how to put a link to my Instagram and Twitter account? I'm befuddled.
> 
> I also have a Twitter now it's also @grreyscale. I've been on there for a while, but only for lurking so there won't be a lot on there yet.  
>    
> Also, @min_swaeg I'm not sure you will see this, but if you do, I changed my mind about posting The Diamond Race on my own. Do you still want to post it on Wattpad like you said? Let me know if you do I'd like to talk to you about some stuff. (･ω<)☆ 
> 
> Thank you all for reading! 
> 
> See you next chapter!
> 
> Bye! ヾ(^ω^*)


	19. Chapter 19

10:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Everything was upside down. 

Literally.

Junior Detective Jungkook was thinking. 

Upside down.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jungkook could tell that Namjoon was trying not to stare at him for his unorthodox thinking habit. Feeling more dizzy than inspired, Jungkook came out of his hand stand.

"Think of anything?" Namjoon glanced down at the newspaper in front of him, then back at Jungkook.

"Nothing yet sir." Jungkook blushed. He silently reprimanded himself for showing such an odd habit in front of Namjoon, his hero. It was truly embarrassing. 

Namjoon turned back to the newspaper his eyes settling on the name at the bottom of the front page article. 

_Head Reporter Seokjin Kim._

Namjoon had dealt with plenty of reporters in his career as a detective and none, not a single one, had come close to getting under his skin like Seokjin. The other man had a penchant for finding out undisclosed details and sharing them before the police could release them to the public. Not to mention his annoyingly precise questioning of law enforcement when major cases broke out. He was always in the front row seats during press conferences with his shiny recorder and it did nothing more than piss Namjoon off. Now here he was, the head writer on the case of Park Haeil's death, which meant Namjoon would have to face him _again_. 

Namjoon sighed and sipped his lukewarm coffee before tossing in the trash beside his desk. It was as if the universe was out to get him.

"Jungkook, do you still have that witness recording from the cleaning lady at the Shilla?"

"Yes sir."

"No need to call me that." Namjoon muttered.

"Call you what sir?" Jungkook tipped his head as he handed Namjoon the device.

Namjoon felt awkward saying it, but he said it anyway. "You don't need to call me sir. It's too much."

"Then what should I call you?" 

"Namjoon is fine."

"No honorifics?" Jungkook blinked in surprise. He had never heard any of his seniors forgo honorifics, if anything, they wanted _more_ of them.

"There's hardly anything to be honored when it comes to me." Namjoon sighed. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes. He was tired. Namjoon had spent the night wide awake, sifting through case material. There was hardly a concrete motive for the case, and then there was the four mysterious people. One woman and three men. It was puzzling. There were four people around Park Haeil before or after he died, and Namjoon couldn't trace a single one of them. Tucking a pen and notepad in his pocket, Namjoon stood up.

"Jungkook, let's go out for a bit."

At Namjoon's words, Jungkook sprang up like jack-in-a-box, shuffling around quickly in the small office to reach for his coat.

"Where are we going?" Jungkook tossed his keys from hand to hand.

"Breakfast." Namjoon replied. "You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?"

Jungkook looked down at his toes sheepishly. So Namjoon _had_ heard his stomach rumbling.

"No, sir."

Namjoon didn't bother correcting Jungkook. He had a feeling the younger would keep calling him sir no matter what.

He nodded. "Let's get food. No one functions well without food."

It was pouring outside, so Namjoon made sure to toss Jungkook an umbrella as they headed out. Once they stepped out of the precinct, Namjoon saw his worst nightmare. Standing beside the door with his recorder in hand was none other than Seokjin with his energetic intern Hoseok.

"Hello detectives." Seokjin gave them a buttery smile. "I didn't think I'd see you here."

Seokjin looked like he always did. Hair neatly parted in the middle, clothes well fitting and nicely pressed, tall, broad shoulders, shiny shoes, and an even shinier watch. He made Namjoon feel like shit. There was a time when Namjoon was like that too. He was everything everyone in the precinct wanted to be. Young, energetic, charismatic, strong, a role model. Now, he was a laughing stock, even those on the bicycle police unit sneered at him when he walked past them. They had a good reason to anyway.

Jungkook could sense the tension and discomfort coming off of Namjoon in waves. He stepped forward puffing out his chest and spoke in his most authoritative voice.

"Sir, we won't be answering any questions on the case."

"Oh." Seokjin laughed out loud like Jungkook had said the funniest thing. "I'm not here for _you_. I'm interviewing the Commissioner on his new agenda to prevent crime in Seoul. Besides, are you even sure you _still_ have a case?"

With a Cheshire smile, Jin swept past them and into the building, chuckling to himself with Hoseok following. The young intern stopped before he passed through the precinct doors.

“Sorry about him.” Hoseok smiled apologetically. “He’s really rude sometimes. Sorry.”

With that he quickly left them alone. Jungkook deflated instantly, Seokjin thought he was a joke. He glanced sheepishly at Namjoon, waiting to get reprimanded. Instead, Namjoon shrugged.

"Let him think what he wants. People like Seokjin, they hardly know anyone, but everyone is a story just waiting to be published for them."

Jungkook glanced at Namjoon’s face. The elder looked out into the rain tiredly while scratching his chin. Namjoon was worn out and Jungkook knew that he had been up all night. The thick bags under his eyes were all the evidence needed.

“After breakfast, why don’t you go home sir?” Jungkook suggested. “You look like you’ve been up all night.”

“I’m fine.” Namjoon shook his head. 

“Sir, you look like you could collapse at any moment.” 

“I’ll feel better after breakfast.”

Jungkook frowned at Namjoon.

“At least let me drive.”

Namjoon arched an eyebrow. “I can drive.”

“You can nap on our way to eat.”

“I’m wide awake.” Namjoon huffed, but he tossed the keys to Jungkook anyway.

Grinning Jungkook caught the keys as they headed out under the rain. 

\---

“The name of the game is, Virus a.k.a Park Chanyeol.” Xiumin calmly points to the singular photo on the screen. “L ran some facial recognition and it turns out he _is_.”

“I could have told you that.” Sehun muttered. “I saw him last night.”

Xiumin paused his briefing, letting his eyes settle coldy on Sehun’s slouched form.

“I appreciate your work on the previous mission, Sehun, but do me a favor and be quiet while I finish this.”

Kai snickered from behind his hand. He desperately tried to hold back a full blown laugh at the look of pure embarrassment on Sehun’s face. However, it was unfortunate for Kai that Xiumin had heard him, and had also sent him a similar look.

“Like I was saying.” Xiumin sighed. “Chanyeol is in Seoul. L’s currently running through all of Seoul’s security camera system to pinpoint his location now. Kai will be retrieving him.”

“What?” Sehun leapt out of his seat. “Why him? Virus was my mission first!”

“Two heads are better than one.” 

All eyes turned to D.O who stood leaning against a desk to the side. Much to the other agents’ surprise D.O had entered the team room and stayed, without dismissing himself on some K related work.

“Won’t two draw too much attention?” Chen glanced at D.O. 

_So now the guy feels like participating? About damn time._

“Two will be enough to keep Chanyeol for making a break for it.” D.O replied. 

“It’s settled then. Kai and Sehun will get Chanyeol. Bring him back here, with as little fuss as possible. We need answers.” Xiumin ordered.

Kai and Sehun glanced warily at each other before nodding.

\---

“I’m driving.” Sehun twirled his car keys around his finger.

Kai scowled at Sehun. He wanted to drive, but seeing that Sehun had gotten to the car first, he had no choice but to obey.

There was a heavy silence as they drove through Seoul, remnants of their little tiff in the kitchen keeping the two agents from speaking to one another. Just before they could reach Viva La Polo, Sehun pulled over in front of a small corner store.

“What are you doing?” Kai whipped around to look at Sehun. “We have a mission.”

“It’s not time sensitive.” Sehun replied.

“It could be.” Kai shot back.

“Look, I wanted to talk to you first.” Sehun sighed. 

Kai stared at Sehun for a long moment. Where had the snooty little brat Sehun gone? Who was this?

“Talk about what? If this is about my skills, then I swear you better give me the keys right now.”

“I wasn’t really genuine with my apology back in the kitchen the other night. I wanted to say that I’m sorry. For real. I think it’s better that we work as a team, than hate each other’s guts.”

Kai folded his arms over his chest, and looked Sehun over slowly.

“Did you hit your head during your mission last night?”

“Wait, what?” Sehun sputtered. “No. Of course not. I wore a helmet! Gosh, you’re making it so hard to apologize.”

“Well, you did start it.” Kai shrugged. 

“Are… are we cool?” Sehun glanced at Kai out of the corner of his eye, licking his lips nervously.

“If you pay for everything in the kitchen, then yeah.”

“You swung at me with a fucking _pan_.” 

“You threw dishes at me, aiming for my _head_ first.”

“Fine.” Sehun muttered utterly defeated. 

Kai snickered at the resigned look on Sehun’s face.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Drive.”

_Kai, one. Sehun, zero._

\---

Jungkook wolfed down the food in front of him as Namjoon merely picked at his pancakes. They were eating at a breakfast cafe, not too far from the Shilla. Namjoon had directed Jungkook to drive there, so that they could stop by the Shilla to collect any information they might have missed later.

Today’s special was an Western breakfast and Namjoon had seen the junior detective’s eyes gleam at the prospect of waffles, scrambled eggs, and sausages. So Namjoon ordered the special.

“Why are we going back to the Shilla?” Jungkook asked between bites of food. “I thought we picked up all the information we needed.”

“There’s a small corner store, not to far from the Shilla. The owner called me the other night and said he might have something on the three men, the maid told us about.” Namjoon sipped his coffee. 

“One step closer to solving this.” Jungkook cheered.

Namjoon nodded. “Hopefully.”

“More coffee?” A waitress stood by their table.

“Yes, thank you.” Namjoon held out his cup.

“You look familiar.” The waitress tipped her head at them. “Aren’t you the detectives working on that Shilla case?”

“We are.” Jungkook chirped. 

“I’m glad you figured the case out. Poor Park Haeil, must have had a horrible marriage to committe suicide like that. I feel sorry for his family.”

“Suicide?!” Namjoon looked up at her in shock. “Where did you hear that?!”

The waitress pointed solemnly to the large flat screen t.v. displaying the daily news. Displayed for all to see, was a replay of a press conference. Commissioner Bang’s words in subtitles at the bottom, with a large letters moving under him.

_Case closed. The True Cause of Park Haeil’s death: Suicide, not Murder._

Jungkook’s fork dropped, clattering against the fine china of his plate, Seokjin’s taunting words ringing in his ears. 

_”Besides, are you even sure you still have a case?”_

“Sir?” Jungkook looked at Namjoon who didn’t answer.

Namjoon smiled weakly at the waitress. He fought to keep his expression neutral, confusion, anger, and bitterness threatening to show openly.

“Yes, thank you. We’re glad the case is closed.” 

After she left, Jungkook watched as Namjoon’s face crumpled. 

“I can’t believe him.” Namjoon hissed. His hands shook with rage as he set his cup down.

Jungkook opened his mouth, only to get stopped by Namjoon’s hand.

“Give me a moment I need to call the commissioner.”

Namjoon swept out of the cafe, quickly dialing the precinct number as he stood outside the cafe. Namjoon ignored the rain, his mind was racing as he waited for Commissioner Bang to pick up his call.

“Detective Namjoon!” Josung greeted, Namjoon instead of Commissioner Bang. “How are you?”

“ _How am I_?!” Namjoon snapped. “What in the hell is going on? Park Haeil’s death was not a suicide! It was a murder! How could you do this behind my back! Put me through to Bang right now!”

There was a loud crash of thunder, lightning flashed across the grey sky as Namjoon paced.

“Hey, hold your horses.” Josung chuckled nervously. “Didn’t Bang tell you? The autopsy was reviewed and the coroner found a mistake. Turns out Mr. Park injected himself.”

“No, no, no!” Namjoon roared as he walked back and forth. “Bullshit! The angle, Josung! You were there! The place we found the needle mark implies foul play. There was no fucking needle at the scene. You want to tell me that Park Haeil had time to stick himself then dispose of the needle?! That’s fucking shit!”

“Namjoon calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to fucking calm down!” Namjoon ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in fury. “This was my case! Not you, the coroner, not even Bang had a right to do this. We all know damn well it was a murder!”

“Look, I… I can’t explain what happened. Only Bang knows what went down. All I’ve heard is that some guys in suits showed up late last night to see Bang. That’s all I know.”

“So Bang got paid to cover this up?!”

“Not everyone is clean in Seoul PD you should know that.” Josung sighed through the phone. “You’re a rare one, Joon. But this place is always odd one out. Be careful. Trust me, I think this case is better left closed. For you and everyone else. Better let the dead bury the dead, ya know?”

Namjoon swallowed. It was times like this where he wanted to smoke. He had kicked the habit as a teen before entering the police force, but right now, he wanted nothing more.

“You’re right.” Namjoon scrubbed a hand down his face. Wiping away at the rain running down his cheeks. “Shit. You think Bang could have warned be first before making me look like a fool?”

Josung chuckled. “Hell if I know. You still want me to patch you through?”

“No. I’ll stop by later. I’ll talk to Bang myself.”

“About what?”

“Better let the dead bury the dead, Josung. I’ll ask for a new case.”

Namjoon looked up at the sky, rain falling on his face before he ducked his head back down.

“Case closed?” Josung asked.

“Yeah, case closed.” Namjoon sighed.

Jungkook leaned against the glass door of the cafe, watching and listening to Namjoon’s phone call. It was a breach of privacy, Jungkook knew that, but curiosity had gotten the better of him. He had watched as Namjoon yelled into the phone in the rain, his mentor looking more washed out and weary after.

Jungkook frowned. Why would Namjoon ask for a new case when clearly Park Haeil’s death was a murder? The case was still open to Jungkook. Reaching into his pocket, Jungkook scribbled down a small list. 

If no one would solve Park Haeil’s murder. Then he would. He could show Namjoon how good of a partner he was. He could prove himself.

Jungkook circled a short address at the top of his list.

First stop, that corner store Namjoon had mentioned.

\---

Chanyeol scrubbed angrily at the patch of dried pasta clinging stubbornly to the side of the new stainless steel pot. He loved Viva La Polo but he hated the fact that his mother made him pay for his meals at the family restaurant by doing the dishes. He preferred waiting tables. Talking to people was way better than being stuck in the back up to his elbows in soap and water.

“New batch Chanyeol!” Yoora called as she pushed a cart loaded with dishes into the dish room.

Chanyeol glared as his older sister snickered. Yoora didn’t have to work at Viva La Polo because she had a decent job. A news reporter on a channel everyone knew. However, his sister still stopped by occasionally to help around when she could.

“Can’t you help me out here?” Chanyeol pointed at the practically overflowing sink. “I could use the help.”

“Sorry.” Yoora shook her head and Chanyeol could have sworn she was doing it to show off her new hairdo. “I just got a new manicure.”

“Put on gloves then.” Chanyeol held out an extra pair of the ugly mustard yellow gloves he was wearing.

“Oh? I think mom’s calling me. Bye!” Yoora dashed out, before Chanyeol could say anything, the dish door swishing back and forth as she disappeared.

“Fuck.” Chanyeol grumbled as he turned back to look at the dishes. He really wanted to head back to the junkyard and work on a new project, but here he was, stuck washing dishes.

“Chanyeol!” Yoora called.

“What now?!” Chanyeol snapped.

His sister walked back in, jerking a thumb to the door behind her.

“You’re friends from uni came to see you. Go say hi.”

“Friends?”

Chanyeol never attended his university classes enough to know anyone there, not that Yoora or his parents knew that.

“Oh, okay.” Chanyeol nodded, drying his hands as slowly as possible. “Where are they sitting?”

Who was it? Was it Rosé? What could she possibly want from him now? Wait, had Yoora said friends? As in plural? Maybe Rosé had come with the rest of Blackpink?

“Back booth, near the cactuses.”

He tugged off the apron and handed it to Yoora before stepping out. He looked over to the back booth and sitting in it was not Blackpink. It was the boy he had met the night before. Oh Sehun with another boy he didn’t recognize. Sehun met his gaze and beckoned him over with one crooked finger.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Chanyeol whisper-hissed as he stormed towards Sehun. “And who the hell is this?!”

“Hello Virus.” Sehun set down the menu with a knowing smirk. “Or maybe you would prefer being called Chanyeol out here?”

Chanyeol’s heart pounded in fear. How had Sehun found him? Rosé had said she had done everything to hide his identity. He couldn’t have just anyone know who he was. It could hurt Yoora, his mother, and his father. He had underestimated Sehun. He thought Sehun was nothing more than a first timer in the underworld of business. Boy was he wrong.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Sehun pointed to the other side of the booth. “This is Kai and we’re just here to chat.”

Chanyeol sat slowly. His eyes met Kai’s as he lowered himself into the booth and Chanyeol felt his heart stop. Kai’s eyes bored into Chanyeol’s like hot coals daring him to raise any alarm of any sort. Just as quickly as Kai’s eyes had met Chanyeol’s they shifted back to the menu in front of him.

“Is this about the cube?” Chanyeol turned to look at Sehun. Under the table Chanyeol’s foot tapped against the linoleum tile floor at a frantic pace. “I thought we planned to meet at the bar tonight?”

“Change of plans.” Sehun runs a slim finger over the plastic covering of the menu. “You’re coming with us. Now.”

“Eh--- what? Excuse me?” 

Chanyeol sputtered. His palms were getting sweaty and his foot tapped harder against the floor, bouncing his leg up and down at a speed that threatened to send his knee through the table. Chanyeol blinked hard, desperately trying to will away the reality in front of him. This had to be a bad dream or something.

“You’re coming with us.” Sehun repeated cooly. “I thought you heard me the first time.”

“I did. But I’m not going anywhere with you.” Chanyeol snapped. “You should leave now.”

“Or what?” Sehun sneered. “You’ll scream?”

“I might.” Chanyeol shot back. “And if I do you’ll be banned from setting one foot near this place. For life.”

“I’ll get to you before you can start.”

Chanyeol turns to Kai whose gaze rests on him like a scorching hot firepocker on flesh. Kai leans forward, his elbows resting on the table’s edge as his eyes never leave Chanyeol’s face.

“Or would you prefer we call the police and let them know who Virus really is? I am pretty sure everything you’ve done under your little alias is illegal, so you’ll probably end up in jail for a long time.” Kai tapped his fingers on the table in a steady simple rhythm.

“Can you imagine what that would do to your parents? I’m sure they don’t know, but I could be wrong. Maybe you’re all in on it. A whole family going to jail, all over the newspapers in Korea. I can picture it. Can you?” Kai arched an elegant eyebrow as his head tipped to the side in mocking curiosity as he stared Chanyeol down.

For a moment the world is too loud for Chanyeol. He can hear the conversation of the people a booth or two down, arguing over what appetizer to start with. He can hear the doorbell chime as people come and go. He can see Yoora laughing with his mother as they pass out food trays. He can see his father greeting new customers at the register. And most of all, Chanyeol can hear his own heart pounding in his chest as blood rushes in his ears in a roaring crescendo that silences the vast symphony of noise around him.

The thing that bothers Chanyeol most about Kai’s words is that he _can_ picture it. He can see the police knocking down the door to his home yelling at his parents for the truth about the son they thought they knew. He can see his sister Yoora losing her job because of him. Chanyeol can see the shock and horror on his parents’ faces when they find out the truth. He can hear them disowning him. Telling him that he is not their son. It hurts. Just as much as the phantom feeling of ice cold cuffs locking around his wrists and the deafening crack of the judge’s gavel hitting wood. It’s always the same in Chanyeol’s darkest nightmares. Guilty, guilty, guilty. Always.

Chanyeol looks at Kai and then at Sehun who is waiting patiently for his answer. He licked his chapped lips slowly, running his hands back and forth over his ripped denim jeans. A thin strand of long red hair falls over his eyes and Chanyeol pushes it back quickly. He had a choice. He could be selfish, but Chanyeol thinks he’s been selfish enough. Lying to his own family about himself, doing things they would never approve of. Especially Yoora. Dear God. What would Yoora think of him when she found out what he had done for her? She would _never_ forgive him.

Chanyeol swallows the lump in his throat that threatens to make his voice crack. He can’t look at Sehun or Kai so he looks down at his hands. 

“I’ll go with you.”

“Good.” Sehun nods. “No funny business. You come quietly and we leave like we’re going out for drinks, okay? Make any sudden moves and I knock you out and drag your body out of here if I have to.”

Chanyeol’s shoulders shook. Okay, so this was really happening. Were Sehun and Kai going to kill him and dump his body in a ditch? Were they going to torture him? What did they want from him?

“My family has nothing to do with, with what I’ve done. _Nothing_ you hear me?” He locked eyes with Kai as they stood up. “Don’t hurt them because of me.”

Kai’s eyes narrowed.

“I don’t hurt innocent people.”

Chanyeol nodded. His voice was thick with fear, but he said it anyway.

“Thank you.”

“Chanyeol? Where are you going?” His mother called as they were heading to the door.

Sehun’s eyes watched him like a hawk, a warning grip on his upper arm.

“We’re just heading out for drinks.” Chanyeol masks his fear with his brightest smile.

“Trying to get out of work?” Yoora calls.

“Hush.” His mother jokingly whacks Yoora’s arm with a rolled up newspaper. “Let Chanyeol have some time with his friends. He rarely mentions that he has anyone to hangout with, so this is good.”

Chanyeol wants to scream. He wants to tell his mother that the other two beside him aren’t friends, but he can’t. What would his mother think if she saw his true self? Would she even be able to look at him as she does now?

“Here, some food for you and your friends.” His mother hands Chanyeol two large bags of food. Chanyeol can tell it’s today’s special with two extra servings of the garlic bread sticks he loves. “Make sure to eat, otherwise you’ll get drunk too fast. Please look after Chanyeol for me.” 

She smiles at Kai and Sehun, then at Chanyeol and he wants to cry. 

“Yeah mom. See you soon.”

Chanyeol’s fingers close around the bags and he turns, hoping his mother can’t see his fear. 

As they’re walking to the car, a sleek black Maserati, Chanyeol thinks of making a run for it. But he kills the thought when Kai slings an arm over his shoulder, playing the part of a friend.

“So,” Chanyeol was at a loss of words which was a rare situation to find himself in.

“What?” Sehun looked at him through the rear view mirror.

“Where are we going?”

Kai who sat in the seat beside him, had procured a black hood. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

Then everything went dark.

\---

Red Velvet’s Dumb Dumb blasts in the background as Suho nods his head to the beat. His fingers flew over the keys as he typed up a new firewall for L, so the A.I can access the Phantom program with more ease than last mission.

Suho likes things like this. Some loud music to drown out the world and good old fashioned coding. He hums along to the song. Pausing his work to make robot movements at his favorite part.

“Suho.” The voice is in his ear and loud.

He jumps nearly a foot in the air, turning to find himself face to face with Lay. The senior agent points at his bluetooth speaker, one eyebrow arched. Suho quickly turns the music off, flushing with embarrassment.

“Hello, hi. Lay, how can I help you?” Suho slaps himself internally. 

_What kind of greeting was that?_

Lay stands in front of Suho in basic training gear. He wears a tight fitting black t-shirt with black military pants and combat boots. Tucked under his arm is a roll of clothes. He tosses them onto Suho’s lap.

“Get dressed, we’re sparring.”

“I don’t spar.”

Lay’s eyes narrow and Suho thinks he’s offended the other. 

“You need to learn how to. So I’m teaching you.”

“But, I’m tech?” Suho is confused.

“Everyone, in field or out of field knows hand to hand combat. You need to learn. Last mission, Kai was able to prevent Jennie from finding you. That was luck. If you meet someone we’re up against in the future, you need to know how to protect yourself. One day, one of us might not be there to protect you.”

“Why can’t Xiumin teach me?” Suho prefered his brother to Lay. He didn’t know the guy.

“Xiumin asked me to help you. He thinks he might be too soft on you, since you were originally in the same team together.” Lay replied.

_More like you’re his brother, but you don’t need to know that I know that right now._

Suho clutches the uniform briefly, looking down at it with worry.

“Can’t this wait until I finish this firewall?”

“The less you know how to defend yourself, the sooner you die. Be down in the training room in five.” With that, Lay leaves the room.

The moment Suho steps onto the training mat is the moment he knows he’s done for. Lay is sitting with his back to him, a pile of soft pink yarn by his side as the sound of knitting needles echoed in the empty room.

“You’re late.” Lay’s sharp eyes pin Suho to the wall when he turns to see him.

“I couldn’t find boots.”

“You don’t need them today.” Lay points at his own feet, which are bare. His boots are at the end of the mat.

Suho reluctantly tugs off his boots and sets them at the end of the mat, before facing Lay, who is still knitting.

“So what are we doing?”

“Today, we’re practicing basic punches. Aim, control, strength, and speed.” Lay hasn’t looked up from his knitting, still sitting in the middle of the mat.

“Are you going to teach me?”

“I am. You just have to land a hit on me first.”

“You want me to punch you?” Suho looked at the other like he had grown a second head. “Are you crazy?”

“Practical. I’m practical. I need to know how strong you are to determine what kind of fighting style you should use.”

Suho tugs at his shirt, twisting the fabric between his fingers as he gnaws on his lip. Oh what he would give to be back in his room writing code right now.

“Do I just punch you?”

Lay snorts, knitting still.

“You’re welcome to try.”

Suho swallows. How on earth is he going to punch someone who isn’t even acting aggressive towards him?

Lay is still knitting, his brows furrowing slightly as he undoes some of his work, muttering to himself.

“You know any time now would be good.” Lay looks up at Suho. “I don’t have all day.”

Suho curls his fingers together, forming a loose fist, thinking a bit before clenching. He looks at Lay, who seems to be in a world of his own.

_All you have to do is punch him once, then this will all be over. Just once._

He was wrong.

Just as his fist is about to hit Lay’s face, Lay grabs his wrist, pulls him hard and sends him onto his face. Suho groans, pushing himself up slowly.

“You said I had to punch you.” He grumbled.

“I never said I’d let you.” Lay replied. He was standing now, but still knitting. “Hit me like you mean it. Otherwise, we’ll do this again.”

Suho nods. He’ll be serious this time.

He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but he’s gotten nowhere. Every hit Suho tries to land, ends with him landing on his back, butt, and face. Sweat drips into his eyes, making them sting as his hair clings to his face. Suho’s face is red from exertion, his shirt sticks to his back, large dark stains on his back and under his arms. He hasn’t hit Lay once and the elder looks quite unbothered by Suho’s various attempts to hit him. Lay stops knitting as Suho pulls himself to his feet. 

“Suho are you even trying?”

It hurts when Lay says that. Suho hates it when people talk to him like that. Hates the way Lay makes all his effort seem insignificant. Lay stepped forward, looking Suho up and down with a pitying gaze. 

“Your really shouldn’t be here.”

“What do you mean?” Suho blinked. “I---”

“You’re not cut out for this type of work. How you even ended up here is wrong.”

Suho stepped back, blinking rapidly at Lay’s stinging words.

“I’m an agent, just like everyone else.” Suho frantically tries to defend himself. 

“Just like everyone else?” Lay sneers. “Oh really? You can hardly throw a solid punch. I was waiting for you to pick up on my movements, but you’re here staggering around like an idiot.”

It hurts.

“How in the world did Xiumin consider you to be on this team? You’re too green. All you can do is sit behind your little laptop and type. You’re going to be nothing but a liability! I thought Xiumin had picked someone worth being on this team, but I guess I was wrong.”

Suho flinches. Lay sounds like his parents’ friends.

“You’re _nothing_ like the other agents. If anything, you could get everyone killed on a mission because they’ll be trying to cover your ass. You’re not Xiumin, Baekhyun, or Kai. You’re nothing but a joke.” Lay spat.

Suho fingers twitch. He looks down at the training mat, remembering.

_”Minseok is such a good son. Athletic, charismatic, intelligent. He even got a scholarship to go abroad!” His mother boasts to the rest of their relatives at dinner._

_“And what about Junmyeon?” His aunt sneers._

_She knows, just like everyone else at the table that Junmyeon isn’t Minseok. Junmyeon prefers codes to people. Books to athletics. Minseok had grown out of his baby fat phase, but Junmyeon had yet to._

_Junmyeon stabs at his rice with his chopsticks, hoping that the conversation will change but it doesn’t. They talk about him as if he isn’t right there in front of them. Under the table, Minseok gives his hand a comforting squeeze, but it does nothing. Instead it reminds Junmyeon of how inferior he is._

_“It’s a pity. I still have hope though. Junmyeon will change. His brother is giving him a good example. Right Junmyeon?”_

_It takes a lot for Junmyeon not to leave the table. It takes even more to respond to his mother’s prompting question._

_“Yes mom.”_

Suho hates how useless Lay makes him feel. How easily Lay renders everything he has done at headquarters to dust. He was used to being undermined, but something about Lay’s words dug under Suho’s skin. Lay’s words had burrowed into the deepest parts of Suho, all the way to his tightly bottled up self resentment.

“Shut up.” 

Lay arched an eyebrow.

“What was that?”

“Shut up.” Suho whispered.

It happened so fast, Lay was taken aback for a split second. Suho lunged, his fist pulled back, before it came forward in a vicious punch. 

Lay caught the punch, a loud smack sounding in the air as Suho’s fist met his hand. Lay looked into Suho’s eyes and he could see bitter resentment in Suho’s eyes, so harsh that it left Lay stunned. Suho yanked his hand away quickly, his chest rising and falling as he stepped away from Lay.

“I’m done.”

Suho was done, leaving Lay alone in the training room. Lay looked down at his hand, staring at his reddening palm. It twinged with pain. 

Suho didn’t know where he was going, but all he knew was that he didn’t want to be anywhere near Lay. He didn’t care that his feet were stinging, since he was barefoot. Suho turned a corner and pushed open the first door he could find.

The typical smell that accompanied a pool assaulted Suho’s nose. Before him were four Olympic sized pools. Men and women swam in the long lanes, while others appeared to be practicing for underwater retrievals with scuba gear. 

Suho walked to the edge of the pool and rolled up his pant legs, before sinking his feet into the water in an empty lane. Suho looked down at his hands, Lay’s words still playing in his head.

“I’m useless.”

“Geez. And I thought _I_ moped around too much.”

Suho turned his head, finding himself face to face with Baekhyun. The agent looked as though he was on his way out of the pool. Water dripped off of Baekhyun’s toned frame. He had a variety of bruises on his stomach, arms, legs, and yet he stood before Suho with a friendly grin. 

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Suho muttered. He couldn’t see how Baekhyun, who had been beaten rather harshly, could be up and about the day after their mission.

“I am. I was in the hot tub awhile ago. It does wonders for bruises. Ten out of ten would recommend.” Baekhyun smiled before plopping down beside Suho. “So, what’s on your mind?” 

“Nothing.”

“Nothing can’t have you looking like a kicked puppy.” Baekhyun shook his head, spraying water on Suho who scooted away. 

Naturally, when Suho tried to distance himself, Baekhyun only scooted closer.

“Something’s bothering you. So talk about it.” Baekhyun laid a hand on Suho shoulder. “I’m a good listener.”

“Can you be honest with me?” 

Baekhyun nodded.

“Do you think I’m a liability?” Suho looked Baekhyun in the eye.

“A liability? Liability?” Baekhyun’s voice had risen in pitch. 

“Who told you that? Was it D.O?” Baekhyun frowned. “I swear I’ll give him a piece of my---.”

“Lay. It was Lay.” Suho interrupted. “Lay said because of I have no basic self defense training, I was useless to the team. He said I’m not worth it.”

Baekhyun huffed.

“That was really shitty of him, Suho. You don’t need to worry about that. We can cover you.”

Suho bit his lip. His mind thinking back to Lay's words.

“But what if one time you can’t?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if you can’t cover me? What if I end up dragging everyone down because I know so little?”

“We’re a team, Suho. Everyone has their weaknesses. As a team, we cover each other’s weak spots so no one gets hurt. You’re fine.”

“But I know nothing!” Suho snapped. “Everyone else is trained! Everyone but _me_!”

Baekhyun turned away from Suho, keeping his eyes on the water.

“Lay really got under your skin, huh.”

Suho sighed.

“He told me to throw a punch at him, while he was knitting. I couldn’t land one.”

“He was knitting?”

“Yeah. He never looked at me once, while I was trying to hit him. It was like I didn’t matter. Like I wasn’t worth paying attention to. Even when he didn’t look he blocked everything. Like I was some little kid.”

“Who got you to train with Lay?”

“Xiumin.” Suho felt even worse saying his brother’s name. “Lay said something about Xiumin thinking he’d go too easy on me, so he had Lay teach me instead. It’s like he knows I’m hopeless too.”

“That’s not true. Xiumin doesn’t think you’re hopeless. I just think he’s afraid of training you because he thinks he might shield you from the hard parts and he doesn’t want to do that. Anyway, do you still want to learn?”

“Yes.” Suho’s eyes flashed with determination. “I want to get better. Stronger, so Xiumin and all of you don’t have to worry.”

“Well, there isn’t much I know that I can teach you in a day.” Baekhyun sighed. “But, if you need someone to spar with, train with? I’m here.”

“I’m sure disguises aren’t that hard.” Suho frowned.

Baekhyun’s eyebrows rose.

“Excuse me?”

“You do disguises right? They can’t be hard.”

Baekhyun straightened out of his slouch, giving Suho a cool look.

“The only reason you’re saying that is because you’ve only seen me operate under a disguise. I am an agent like everyone else. I know Hapkido, Muay Thai, and Taekwondo. I’ve had weapons training. I could kill you in under ten seconds _right now_ Suho. I’m the best member at undercover jobs because I can blend in. Not everyone can do that. So yes, I can disguise myself, but don’t let it fool you. I’m just as lethal as everyone else.”

Suho’s cheeks flushed as he looked down in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun shook his head.

“No problem. I think you should just stop looking at things at surface level. If you want a new teacher, I’m open to teaching you.”

“Really?” 

“Yes, dummy.” Baekhyun smiled. “I think Lay started on the wrong foot with you. I can do better.”

“Have you ever taught anyone before?” Suho asked.

“Kai. I taught him most of his hand to hand combat. Well, that was before he grew a foot taller than me.” Baekhyun chuckled.

“And, I’ve been taught before, I know what it feels like. I know what you’re going through.” The smile slipped off of Baekhyun’s face, leaving him with a blank look in his eyes. 

“What happened?” 

Baekhyun didn’t answer for a moment, instead he kicked up water, skimming the surface of the pool with his feet.

“I didn’t mean to pry.” Suho blurted. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”

“No, it’s fine.” Baekhyun tapped a finger on his thigh. “I just think you’re better off with me than Lay, or anyone near D.O.”

“Did D.O train you?”

“He trained and _evaluated_ me.”

Somehow the way Baekhyun says it makes Suho think D.O murdered him.

“It’s a process to make sure the recruits are truly ready to work as agents. It tests us, makes sure we’re trustworthy.” Baekhyun continued. “Every recruit goes through it. Countless rounds of interrogation, physical and mental testing that bring you to your breaking point.”

Baekhyun paused.

“Or they just break you completely.”

Suho gulped.

“D.O trained me and evaluated me. The training was hard, but the evaluation was worse. We had two senior agent supervisors for my group. It was D.O and…” Baekhyun’s voice tapers off, breaking awkwardly, like he is about to cry, or maybe, he is about to scream. 

Suho doesn’t know, especially with the way Baekhyun’s eyes becoming glassy.

“You don’t have to say their name.” Suho murmured. 

“Well.” Baekhyun swallows. “The evaluation for my team was a series of missions. We had to figure out who in our group was the enemy. Something like that. We formed teams out of the alliances we made and worked to catch the so-called enemy. I teamed up with, with someone. The evaluation would grade our skills from training and our teamwork. Bonus points for figuring out who was the enemy.”

Baekhyun takes a deep shaking breath, before going silent.

“Will I have to do it too?” Suho whispered.

“I seriously hope not.” Baekhyun murmurs. “At least not the way I did mine.”

"Promise?"

Baekhyun looked at Suho's extended pinky.

"Promise what?"

"That you'll teach me."

Baekhyun linked his pinky with Suho's.

"I promise."

Baekhyun had left Suho at the pool's edge, saying that he would catch a cold if he stayed any longer. Suho let him go, because somewhere in Baekhyun's eyes he could see it. He could see the pain and grief behind the gleaming smile and charming winks. 

Suho looked down at the water. He could see all the way to the bottom, the pool was only twelve feet deep, yet somehow, it looked much deeper. Like an abyss. Like Baekhyun’s sorrowful eyes. Suho looked at his reflection in the undisturbed water.

Was it worth it? Suho thought to himself. Was throwing away his normal life worth it?

He didn’t know.

Suho kicked the water, destroying his reflection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greyscale's back! (*Shinee's back tone*) (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
> 
> I have finally updated! WHOO!
> 
> I've been prepping for college so, I haven't had much time to work on The Diamond Race, but I managed to get this chapter out to you all, so that's good.
> 
> Thank you for all your comments and support I really appreciate them all! 
> 
> Holy moly we are almost at 20 chapters!! Do you want me to do some sort of special in the notes for chapter 20? I don't mind and I have a lot of free time since I'm taking this week off from work and stuff.
> 
> I have recently been drafting the beginning of The Cube, which is nice because my outlining for The Diamond Race is nearly complete. I've been thinking that while I'm in college, I could post mini Twitter fics looking at the backgrounds of the characters in The Diamond Race. Would you like that? Please let me know, because I would like to find I way to keep writing while I'm in college. Something nice and short while I work on The Cube and school. Or just mini Exo/other kpop group fics in general.
> 
> Also, @min_swaeg, please I hope you see this. My offer still stands. If you would like to post The Diamond Race on Wattpad, please let me know in the comments, Instagram, or Twitter. I was hoping you saw my note last chapter, idk if you did, but I'm willing to let you crosspost it. I'd like to talk, you're not in trouble or anything.
> 
> What do you think of the story so far? Our agents have only a week before the race starts, so get ready! 
> 
> What do you think of Junior Detective Jungkook's new mission? What about Detective Namjoon? What did you think of Kai and Sehun? What about Chanyeol? Any guess on what he did for Yoora? What do you think about D.O's new participation? Suho and Baekhyun's talk? (￢‿￢ )
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments below!
> 
> Thank you again! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡
> 
> My Instagram and Twitter is @grreyscale. Come say hi!


	20. Chapter 20

14:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

“Thwump!”

“Again.”

Suho exhaled through his nose, pursing his lips as he focused his eyes on the target.

“Thwump!”

“Again.”

Junmyeon huffed as his fingers twitched, aching.

Baekhyun stood beside him looking nothing like the jokester he typically was. His eyes were sharp, narrowed in cool concentration as he watched Suho’s progress. He was wearing the same training gear Suho had on. All black.

“I feel like my arms about to come off.” Suho whined. 

“Good.” Baekhyun replied. “That means you’re actually putting in effort. It will pay off later.”

“Using throwing stars will pay off later?” Suho held up the sharp metal star. “I thought we were going to do hand to hand combat.”

“We will, but considering the fact that we have stop Blackpink in a week, I can’t teach you everything I know. Throwing stars will at least keep distance between you and your opponent. Which is something you should want, considering you have little to no experience in hand to hand combat.” Baekhyun replied. “I want to keep you alive Suho. Besides, you have pretty good aim.”

Suho sighed. “Can’t guns keep distance too?”

“Do you know how to shoot?” Baekhyun arched an eyebrow.

Suho found himself withering considerably under Baekhyun’s gaze.

“No.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Suho sighed, picking up more throwing stars as he prepared for his next round.

"Make most of the targets and I'll teach you how to shoot." Baekhyun called.

Suho turned to see Baekhyun waving him over.

"You do want to learn right?"

"Of course." Suho smiled.

\---

When the finally hood came off, Chanyeol found himself alone in a white room, typical of a police interrogation room.

“Oh shit!” Chanyeol jerked up in the metal chair, only to be instantly yanked back down by the handcuffs around his wrists that were connected to the table.

_Sehun was with the police?!_

Chanyeol was royally fucked. There was no way his parents wouldn’t find out about this. He could already imagine the looks on their faces. How many years in prison would he get? Just the thought made Chanyeol break into a cold sweat.

 _Shit, shit, shit!_

He tugged fruitlessly at the cuffs, not caring how his wrists ached.

“If you keep doing that you might hurt yourself badly. But, please continue. I do love a good show.”

Chanyeol snaps his head up to look at the door. Standing with a thick tan file under their arm is a rather short man. He smiles and Chanyeol is vaguely reminded of a cat at the way his lips curl. Like a cat watching a mouse.

“I want my lawyer.” Chanyeol yells, recalling some information from the crime dramas Yoora loves to watch. “I wasn’t even read my rights when you arrested me. This is against the law! I could sue you for this!”

The man tips his head before laughing loudly. Chanyeol stares at him, confused by his sudden outburst. The man walks over, sitting in the chair across from Chanyeol, giggles still bubbling out of his lips.

“Wow, I haven’t had a laugh like that in a while.” He mocking wipes an invisible tear from his under his eye.

“I want my lawyer.”

“We’re not the police.” The man smiles again, but this time is doesn’t reach his eyes. “I can’t say we’re as nice as them either, especially with uncooperative people. So sit down.”

Chanyeol feels his blood run cold. He sat down heavily in the chair, panic beginning to set into his bones.

“Hmm, that’s more like it.” The man nods. “My name is Chen, and you are obviously Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol flinches at his name. 

“What do you want from me? I swear I’ve _never_ seen you people in my life before.”

“Oh, I know.” Chen nods as he pulls back the folder flap, revealing a page with Chanyeol’s face front and center. “Let’s get started okay?”

Chanyeol doesn’t think he has much of a choice, so he nods.

“How long have you been operating under the alias Virus?”

Chanyeol doesn’t answer, instead opting for silence. Chen doesn’t know much about him, so Chanyeol would rather not give the other any more ammunition to fire at him with.

Chen looks at Chanyeol expectantly, one head cocked to the side.

“Either you can answer me or…” Chen turns his head to glance towards the one way mirror on the side of the interrogation room.

Chanyeol notices Chen has a comm unit in his ear, he follows his gaze to the mirror only to stare at his own reflection. He knows that there is someone on the other side of the mirror, even though he can’t see them.  
“Who’s there?”

“Someone meaner than me.” Chen replies. 

“So you’re the good cop.”

“I’m not a cop.” Chen reminds Chanyeol. “And the good is iffy.”

“What do want from me?”

“Answer the question.” 

Chen doesn’t sound that nice anymore, there is an edge to his voice that tells Chanyeol he is wearing on his last nerve. 

“I’m not answering anything.” Chanyeol sneers. “You guys aren’t even the police.”

These guys were a joke. Chanyeol had been expecting to be tortured for information, but he was sitting across a peewee non-cop who had yet to threaten him with any substantial information about himself.

Chen opens his mouth, but stops to listen to whoever is in his ear.

Chanyeol watches cooly as Chen frowns before turning back to him.

“Last chance Chanyeol. Or we take you to the _actual_ police.”

Chanyeol snorts. “And tell them what? You kidnapped a college student?”

Chen’s lip purse into a flat line before he speaks. “I was going to be nice, but since you’re a little thick headed, I’ll just get straight to the point. You’re looking at hard time here. At least thirty years in prison and that’s _if_ you have a good lawyer.”

Chanyeol blinks and it’s almost as if Chen has completely changed. His eyes hold a cold look, mixed with knowing amusement. Chen pulls out his comm unit, tucking it in his pocket before giving a thumbs up to the mirror.

“Why don’t we start with your sister?”

“What about her?”

“Park Yoora, exceptional student throughout her entire academic life and a rising star on the daily news. At first glance it all looks nice and normal except for this.”  
Chen slid a paper over for Chanyeol to see.

“How can someone who was kicked out of one of the top journalism programs in Korea for plagiarism, suddenly get hired by a top news agency without an application?”

Chanyeol’s eyes meet Chen’s over the page. He looks down at the page, his eyes barely reading as his mind swims in fear.

“What’s this supposed to be?”

“Bribery.” Chen grinned. “Can you imagine the _scandal_? Park Yoora, rising star, bribed her way into the top news spot.”

_How does he know?_

Chanyeol’s fingers gripped the paper until it was nearly completely crumpled. He could feel himself beginning to sweat.

“ _How_?” Chanyeol whispers. “How do you know about this?”

Chen tipped his head his lips pulling back into a cunning smile.

“It’s my job. Knowing things. I know enough to bring you hell on earth Chanyeol. I know enough to put you, your sister, mother, and father in living hell. I could even set you all up to get killed tomorrow if I wanted to.”

“My sister. Yoora. She---, Yoora didn’t. She didn’t bribe her way in.” Chanyeol whispered. 

It was all catching up to him now. That night in the rain, when he had pounded on Rosé’s door like a madman, he had gone on his knees to her, begging like a dog. Begging for Yoora. 

_It was all in vain now wasn’t it?_ A sneering voice in the back of Chnayeol’s mind snickered. 

“Who did?” Chen arched an eyebrow.

“I did.” Chanyeol’s eyes had gone glassy. He could only hear the pounding on his own heart. His eyes were unfocused barely registering what was in front of him.

“You?” Chen blinked in surprise. “You’re a college student.”

“Five years.” Chanyeol blurted.

“Five years?”

“I’ve been Virus for five years. But, before that, I made a deal with someone. I would become Virus, and Yoora would become one of the most well known news anchors in Korea.”

“Wow,” Chen muses. “You’ve been in the game for a while.”

Chanyeol lowered his eyes.

_”What do you want Park?” Rosé leaned against the door frame of her apartment, picking at her chipping red nail polish in boredom._

_She looked different now. She had done away with all the plain color she used to wear. Instead she wore a bright red top, matching pumps, with tight glossy black pants. Her hair was done up loosely, newly dried pink strands fluttering around her face._

_Rosé gave Chanyeol a cold once over, her eyes raking over his from head to two with annoyance._

_Chanyeol panted loudly with both hands on his knees. Rain water dripped down the side of his face mixing in with his salted tears. His hair fell damp in his face and his clothes were soaked from running all the way to Rosé’s place. His glasses had fogged up badly on his run over, so with shaking hands, Chanyeol whipped them clean._

_“Please, Rosé I need your help.” Chanyeol straightened._

_“For what?” Rosé tipped her head to the side in amusement._

_“It’s Yoora.”_

_“Yoora?” Rosé arched an eyebrow. “Mrs. Goodie-Two-Shoes? Well that’s a new one. What happened?”_

_“She’s been kicked out of Seoul University. She lost her scholarship, she lost everything!” Chanyeol sobbed. “I--- They said it was plagiarism, but Yoora wouldn’t say anything. She, she got a fine. It’s so much money and it’s so bad, we can’t keep Viva La Polo! Dad thinks we should declare bankruptcy, but the loan sharks we borrowed from to get Viva La Polo won’t allow it.”_

_“And this affects me how?” Rosé sneered. “This sounds a lot like a you problem.”_

_Chanyeol stared at Rosé with wide eyes. Tears collected at the corners of his eyes, spilling over_

_“You--- you’re a family friend? I thought maybe your dad could help---.”_

_“Shut up!” Rosé interrupted. “I can’t help you, you know that. Take your fucking family problems to someone who cares. My dad won’t help with shit. He jumped ship last month. Fucked off somewhere with that sneaky bitch who’s only two years older than me.”_

_Rosé moved to close the door. Chanyeol shot forward, grabbing the edge of the door before it closed._

_“Please.” Chanyeol whispered. “I just can’t. I--- I don’t know where else to go.”_

_Chanyeol threw himself onto his knees, bowing until his head touched the dirty surface of the floor._

_“Please, Rosé. I’m begging you! I’ll do anything. I swear I will!”_

_“You’re willing, you said?”_

_Chanyeol jerked up, his eyes red with tears. He clasped his hands in front of him, still on his knees._

_“Yes!” Chanyeol babbled. “I am. I’ll go anything you want! I swear! Please just help Yoora and my parents!”_

_The look in Rosé’s eyes changed, from indifference to intense interest. She crouched down to Chanyeol’s level. She cradled his face in the palm of her hand, sweeping her thumb under Chanyeol’s eye to get rid of his tears. She tilted his face from side to side, looking it over carefully._

_“Okay then, Chanyeol. It looks like we have a deal.”_

_Chanyeol nodded quickly._

_“Thank you.” Chanyeol chroaked._

_“Oh, no Chanyeol.” Rosé giggled softly. “Don’t thank me yet.”_

_Somehow, Chanyeol couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t seen it then. Why he hadn’t realized how huge of a mistake it was begging Rosé that night._

_It felt like he had sold his soul._

\---

Chapter 20 Special:

`Loading…`

`Loading… `

`Loading… `

`Welcome recruit, to the SM Agent Archives. `

`You have been given entry level clearance to the agency archives, thus some information pertaining to your searches with be unavailable to you. When you encounter such information the following will block out classified information: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**. This access is timed, you will only have access to this basic information for ten minutes. `

`Enter Identification.`

`Identification Accepted.`

`**Team Exo File.SMAA** selected.`

`Accessing File…`

`Loading…`

`Loading… `

`Access Granted. `

`Proceed.`

`Agent Xiumin File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent Xiumin | Registered Number 0-9-9** `

`Civilian Name: Kim Minseok`

`Civilian Status: Living`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 26-03-90`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Living`

`Father Status: Living`

`Brother Status: Living`

`Birthplace: Guri, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation completed by agent Changmin: 07 August 20XX`

`Completed Assigned Missions: 23`

`Specialty(s): Interrogation, Language, Weapon Use, Shadowing/Tailing, Hand-To-Hand Combat.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Chinese, Japanese, English, French, Portugese, Arabic.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 10`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Judo, Taekwondo, Krav Maga, Kendo, Muay Thai, Hapkido.`

`Weapon(s) Preference: Brass Knuckles, Twin M9 Guns, Fixed Blade Knuckle Guard Knife,  
Surujin.`

`Background: Agent Xiumin was recruited to the agency in 20XX along with agent [Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]. Agent Xiumin along with agent Lay and agents **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]** were once a team during an international manhunt for a man by the name of **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**. After his mission was completed three of the agents from agent Xiumin’s team, not including agent Lay, were reassigned to a different post… `

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]:** `

`
  * Agent Xiumin is well known amongst his colleagues for his incredibly calm temperament and generosity.
  * Considered much younger than his true age due to his face.
  * He holds the record for most concealed weapons carried by an agent.
  * A bit of a coffee connoisseur (hopes to own his own cafe someday).
  * Incredible poker face (which in turn makes him a great poker player).
  * Prefers to harm targets instead of killing them.
  * He might be the most secretive in the agency.
  * Ambidextirous.
  * May have eyes in the back of his head.
` 


`Exiting Agent Xiumin File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent Baekhyun File selected.`

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`File Open.`

` **Agent Baekhyun | Registered Number 0-0-4** `

`Civilian Name: Byun Baekyun`

`Civilian Status: Deceased`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 06-05-92`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Deceased`

`Father Status: Alive`

`Grandmother: Deceased`

`Birthplace: Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Completed by agent D.O: 19 December 20XX.`

`Completed Missions: 17`

`Specialty: Safe/Lock Picking, Disguise, Hand-To-Hand Combat`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Japanese, Chinese, English, Russian.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 9`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Hapkido, Muay Thai, Taekwondo.`

`Weapon(s) Preference: Glock 21 pair, Brass Knuckles, Throwing Stars.`

`Background: Agent Baekhyun was born to the mistress of **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**. His mother, Byun Boyoung was killed by a hitman when he was ten years old. At the age of 15 he was recruited along with agent Chen in 20XX. `

`During his evaluation under the supervision of agents D.O and Taeyeon, Baekhyun was a witness in the killing of agent Taeyeon by agent D.O. It is believed that agent Taeyeon and agent Baekhyun were in an intimate relationship before her untimely death.`

`Agent D.O was immediately removed from active field duty and brought into the agency for intensive screening, following the death of agent Taeyeon.`

`Agent D.O’s interrogation for neutralizing agent Taeyeon is recorded in this SM agency screening audio file below:`

` **AgentD.Oaudiofile.SMAA** `

`**AgentD.Oaudiofile.SMAA** selected.`

`Loading…`

`Loading…`

`Loading...`

` **ERROR 408!** `

` **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]** `

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]:** `

`
  * Agent Baekhyun is known for his joking personality.
  * Disguise and lockpicking master.
  * Noisy.
  * Quick thinker.
  * Can fight in high heels.
  * Dedicated to his work/missions.
  * Holds the agency record for most destroyed agency cars (along with other equipment).
  * Talks himself out of most situations (including paperwork).
  * Considered one of the most reckless agents in the agency (voted unanimously by his own teammates along with other agents from other teams).
  * Sneaks off to karaoke bars when he thinks no one is looking (agent Xiumin always knows).
` 


`Exiting Agent Baekhyun File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent Chen File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent Chen | Registered Number 0-2-1** `

`Civilian Name: Kim Jongdae`

`Civilian Status: Alive`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 21-09-92`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Alive`

`Father Status: Alive`

`Brother Status: Deceased`

`Grandmother: Deceased`

`Birthplace: Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Completed by agent Lay: 17 December 20XX.`

`Completed Missions: 17`

`Specialty: Language, Surveillance, Hacking, Negotiation/ Interrogation, Photographic Memory, Lip Reading, Bomb Defusing, Safe/Lock Picking.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Japanese, Chinese, French, English, Thai, Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 5`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Hapkido `

`Weapon(s) Preference: Rifle`

`Background: Agent Chen was recruited to the agency with along with agent Baekhyun. Prior to his work as an agent, Chen was a runaway living in downtown Seoul. `

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Baekhyun without agency permission]:** `

`
  * Sucks at hand-to-hand combat (Come on Chen!)
  * Probably the nosiest agent in the SM agency.
  * Polyglot.
  * Hopes to travel the world one day (without the stress of a mission).
  * Enjoys testing the rules and everyone’s limits.
  * Never misses a shot.
  * One of his ears has a piercing because he thought having a singular earring made him look cool.
  * Loves to eat chocolate (especially chocolate that’s not his).
  * Incredibly observant.
  * Sneaks out to karaoke bars with agent Baekhyun.
` 


`Exiting Agent Chen File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent Kai File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent Kai | Registered Number 0-8-8** `

`Civilian Name: Kim Jongin`

`Civilian Status: Alive`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 14-01-94`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Alive`

`Father Status: Deceased`

`Sister: Alive`

`Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Currently Incomplete. `

`Completed Missions: 13`

`Specialty: Hand-To-Hand Combat, Negotiation/ Interrogation, Parkour, Shadowing.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Japanese, Chinese, English, Spanish.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 9`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Hapkido, Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga.`

`Weapon(s) Preference: Twin Steel Fighting Batons, Silenced M9s, Brass knuckles.`

`Background: Agent Kai was abandoned as a child along with his baby sister named, [Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required] at a city fair by their mother. Agent Kai and his younger sister went into the system, but ran away just after their third foster home, when Kai was ten and his sister was five. Agent Kai was recruited to the agency by agent Xiumin at the age of fifteen … `

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]:** `

`
  * Agent Kai is well known for having the most for his dedication to his work and his incredible fighting techniques that quickly neutralize his targets.
  * Runner-up for record of most agency equipment destroyed (always apologizes after wrecking things).
  * Dances when he thinks no one is looking (he’s pretty good).
  * Wanted to be a dancer (maybe still does).
  * Possesses full body control (may have to do with ballet classes, but don’t tell him I wrote this).
  * Strict rule follower (ass-kisser in agent Baekhyun’s terms).
  * Very convincing actor.
  * Dog lover (Once stole a dog from a mafia boss in Italy during a mission. Tried to sneak it past agent Xiumin in his hoodie, but it started barking.).
  * Uses good looks to his advantage to get information from targets.
` 


`Exiting Agent Kai File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent Lay File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent Lay | Registered Number 0-1-0** `

`Civilian Name: Zhang Yixing`

`Civilian Status: Alive`

`Nationality: Chinese`

`D.O.B: 07-10-91`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Deceased`

`Father Status: Deceased`

`Grandmother: Deceased`

`Grandfather: Deceased`

`Birthplace: Changsha, Hunan, China`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Completed by agent K: 13 October 20XX. `

`Completed Missions: 23`

`Specialty: Hand-To-Hand Combat, Shadowing, Reading Body Language.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Japanese, Chinese (Manadrin, Cantonese), English, .`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 10`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Hapkido, Northern Shaolin, Piguaquan, Brazilian Jiu Jitzu.`

`Weapon(s) Preference: Needle Knives, Steel Tonfas, Silenced gun.`

`Background: Raised by his traditional Chinese theater performing parents agent Lay lived a normal life until a Chinese syndicate attack on his family’s theater killed his grandparents and his parents. Despite his pleas to the police, they did not help him. Enraged, young Lay took matters into his own hands and killed three of the syndicate members, becoming known to the public as _Hóng Yǎnjīng De Háizi_ , the Red Eyed Child. This nickname was given to Lay because when he turned himself into the police, covered in blood, his eyes were red from crying, because he was not able to kill one more syndicate member to atone for the four deaths in his family.`

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]:** `

`
  * Holds the agency record for most targets subdued without the use of a weapon.
  * Best working alone during missions but always dedicated to teamwork when assigned.
  * Looked up to by many agents within the agency.
  * Does he have a life outside of the agency?
  * Attentive to details and is a perfectionist.
  * Accurate and precise shots.
  * Incredibly patient.
  * If you hit him, he hits back three times as hard.
  * Can charm information out of targets.
  * Reads body language easily.
  * Has a penchant for knowing things he shouldn’t.
  * Stone cold during missions.
  * Rarely jokes. If you say a joke he will merely stare at you until you stop talking. I’ve never seen him sleeping… does he sleep?
` 


`Exiting Agent Lay File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent Sehun File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent Sehun | Registered Number 0-9-4** `

`Civilian Name: Oh Sehun`

`Civilian Status: Alive`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 12-04-94`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Alive`

`Father Status: Alive`

`Brother: Alive`

`Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Completed by agent Lay. `

`Completed Missions: 13`

`Specialty: Hand-To-Hand Combat, Shadowing, Profiling, Detecting Lies.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Japanese, Chinese (Manadrin, Cantonese), English, Italian.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 8`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Hapkido, Northern Shaolin, Brazilian Jiu Jitzu.`

`Weapon(s) Preference: Sniper Rifle, Throwing Knives, Semi-Automatic Hand gun.`

`Background: Born unexpectedly after his older twin brother, Oh Hun. Oh Sehun remained in the hospital for three months after birth due to his significantly weaker state. Doctors did not expect him to survive his birth. Sehun has remained much out of the public eye for all his life due to his childhood illness. Due to this, not many people outside of the Oh family know about Oh Sehun. Despite media speculation about his existence, Sehun has evaded paparazzi cameras. Agent Sehun was recruited to the agency by agent D.O. `

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]:** `

`
  * Agent Sehun is a hardworking agent who wants to prove himself to his seniors.
  * Intuitive.
  * Profiler.
  * Can always tell when someone is lying.
  * Adaptive to almost any situation.
  * Can be manipulative if a mission requires it.
  * Great liar.
  * Keeps his team together.
  * Loyalty above all else.
` 


`Exiting Agent Sehun File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent Suho File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent Suho | Registered Number 0-0-1** `

`Civilian Name: Kim Junmyeon `

`Civilian Status: Alive`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 26-05-91`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Alive`

`Father Status: Alive`

`Brother: Alive`

`Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Incomplete. `

`Completed Missions: 0`

`Specialty: Hacking, Coding.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Chinese, English.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 0`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Not applicable`

`Weapon(s) Preference: 11 inch Macbook Pro`

`Background: Given that agent Suho recently entered the agency, there is little information on him.`

`**Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]** :`

`
  * Agent Suho is ambitious and wants to prove himself in team Exo as a reliable member.
  * Poor hand-to-hand combat.
  * Prefers his computer to any physical activity when he can.
  * Red Velvet fanboy. (Little does he know…)
  * Afraid, but not enough to make him do nothing.
` 


`Exiting Agent Suho File…`

`Accessing New File… `

`Loading… `

`Agent D.O File selected.`

`Loading…`

`File Open.`

` **Agent D.O| Registered Number 0-1-2** `

`Civilian Name: Do Kyungsoo`

`Civilian Status: Deceased`

`Nationality: South Korean`

`D.O.B: 12-01-93`

`Agent Status: Active`

`Family/ Relatives:`

`Mother Status: Deceased`

`Father Status: Deceased`

`Sister: Alive`

`Birthplace: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Current Place of Residence: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

`Agency Testing and Evaluation Completed by agent K: 03 March 20XX`

`Completed Missions: 29`

`Specialty: Hand-To-Hand Combat, Interrogation, Shadowing, Lip Reading, Languages, Weapons.`

`Language(s): Hangul (Korean), Japanese, Chinese, English, Spanish.`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Skills: Level 10`

`Hand-To-Hand Combat Fighting Styles: Hapkido, Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Taekwondo.`

`Weapon(s) Preference: Any weapon accessible to this agent puts a target at high risk of being neutralized. `

`Background: **[Classified Information Unable To Access/Higher Clearance Level Required]**`

` **Other [This category has been manually inserted by agent Chen without agency permission]:** `

`
  * There is very little to put here about agent D.O.
  * Disappears and reappears without any agent’s knowledge.
  * Secretive.
  * Cold personality.
  * Deadly.
  * Quick and efficient.
` 


`Exiting Agent D.O File…`

`Recruit your ten minute search period has come to an end in the SM Agent Archives. You must re-enter a new passcode in order to access the next file(s): Blackpink, Park Chanyeol.`

``

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE! ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ 
> 
> Hello everyone, I know it's been a while. Like almost a month...but I have finally updated after all my promises to do so. This chapter isn't that great and I want to apologize for that. Please forgive me. (シ_ _)シ
> 
> The special took so much of my time to set up that I didn't write too much of the story because I didn't want to overwhelm you all. As I was writing I was constantly plagued with the thought that people had become disinterested with this fic because I was taking such a long time and it made me incredibly self-conscious about my writing. For those who have spoken to me on Instagram you might know what I am talking about. I want to thank you for staying with this fic for so long, really it warms my heart that you found my writing worth while. ｡ﾟ(｡ﾉωヽ｡)ﾟ｡
> 
> Also I wanted to give you all a little forewarning. My college classes take a lot of my time, so the next chapters might either be shorter, or there will be longer times between updates. I wish it were different, but I try to keep up with this fic as well as my school work.
> 
> Please let me know if I made any mistakes. The special is pretty long so I may have messed up here or there. I like to correct anything I can.
> 
> I also have an announcement. For those of you who have a Wattpad or have friends who use Wattpad, @minswaeg has been kind enough to crosspost The Diamond Race there for me! Please check it out!
> 
> On a much lighter note! What did you think of this chapter? Did you like the special? Are you more curious about certain things now that before? What did you think of Chanyeol's little interrogation? No, he's not out of there yet. Next chapter will have more from the interrogation, just you wait! Let me know what you thought in the comments! If you have any questions don't be afraid to comment, I will answer.
> 
> Come talk to me on Twitter or Instagram. My username is @grreyscale on Twitter and @grreyscale_ on Instagram. Come say hi! I always answer.
> 
> Until next time! ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆


	21. Chapter 21

18:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

_"I love you."_

_Such ugly words._

_Such hideous, filthy words from those red twisted lips._

_Such lies._

_His grip tightened._

_He didn't have much of a choice now. She was too close. It was too late._

_"I love you."_

_Why was it so easy for her to say that? Why was it so simple?_

_He wished she had choked on air instead. He wished. He wished._

_Her hands reached out, gently caressing the boy's face. Oh, the boy was smitten. A lamb before a wolf._

_Run! Run away! He wanted to scream. Why couldn’t that boy see it? Why couldn’t he see the sniper’s laser target on his chest?_

_But this was_ his _fault. How could_ he _not have realized it then? Why hadn't_ he _noticed? That boy wouldn’t be in such a situation if_ he _had paid more attention._

_He watched as she leaned closer to the boy._

_He had to do it now, before it was too late. Now, now, now!_

_But why?_

_Why did it have to come to this?_

_He would not be forgiven, he knew that much._

_But, it would be worth it._

_Yes. In all this pain, it would be worth it._

_No matter how bitter this pain would be, he would take and swallow it whole. Even if it ate him up from the inside out._

_It was a beautiful night to stain his hands red, to paint the white picnic blanket with death. The wind was soft and the city beneath his feet hummed a soft lullaby._

_It splattered everywhere. Some landed on his face, painting him a demon._

_Was that not what he was? Demons steal happiness. Yes, yes. He was a demon._

_Then he saw it. The horror, anguish, confusion. Then rage. So much of it, so much rage. All in those two eyes._

_He felt it. He still does. His heart shattered in his chest and then the shards poked out, stabbing into his lungs, threatening to pierce out through his skin._

_For some strange reason, he can't breathe. He can't._

_"Why?"_

_Oh, this is a question he knew he could not answer. But if he could. If he could._

_“Why would you do this?”_

_The boy is screaming now. Rage, anguish, confusion as tears flow down his face._

_But_ he _does not cry._ He _is frozen._

_Why did it come to this? It is_ his _fault. Why hadn't_ he _realized it before? That look in her eyes. That destructive hunger._

_He can see the tears flowing down the boy's face as he clutches her body._

_“Why?”_

_The reason he gives is cruel. The reason he gives is a lie._

_“That is what happens when you don’t cover your tracks. See?”_

_The moment the words leave his lips, he knows he has sealed his own grave._

_Misery._

_It’s a stench stronger than the copper blood._

_Ah, so this is what it means to feel devastated? So this what agony is?_

_It tastes sweet, but it is so bitter, so, so bitter. This cruel fruit. This fruit of lies._

_He lowers his hand, the gun held loosely by his trembling fingers. Her blood drips down his cheek and for a moment, it feels like he is crying._

_It’s too late for him to spit out the truth. It’s too late, because he has already taken a bite out of the fruit of lies._

_Forgive me._

_Forgive me._

_Forgive me._

_Please._

He wakes with his pillow soaked in the tears still streaming down his face.

“I’m sorry.” 

His voice is hoarse from a night of nightmares, but he says it like a prayer.

“I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greyscale here! (＠´ー`)ﾉﾞ 
> 
> I know some of you might be thinking: "An update so soon? Didn't this silly writer say the chapters would take longer?!" Σ(°ロ°)
> 
> I did, but I've decided to post them in short little bursts instead since I want to keep writing despite my school work. I was thinking of posting the short parts I had, then I would combine them into one or two chapters later so it looks better when someone is trying to read. If this confuses you, please let me know. I want to be able to format the story in a way that you can all enjoy it. Please leave your thoughts on this in the comments.
> 
> I also want to thank everyone for all the kudos. Like wow, I never imagined it getting to 144! It feels like it was yesterday when I had only 10. I am amazed that people really take time to read what I write. Thank you for sticking with me! 
> 
> Anywho, how did you like this chapter? Who do you think it's about? Let me know in the comments! Any predictions about characters? I don't mind reading your comments. (This may sound weird but I reread past comments to keep me going. All your comments are so sweet so I like to look back at them.)
> 
> P.S. Come say hi on Instagram: @grreyscale_ or Twitter: @grreyscale! I draw here and there on my Instagram and post notification on new chapters I'm posting. I also talk if you DM me on Twitter or Instagram.
> 
> Also @minswaeg has cross-posted The Diamond Race on Wattpad, so it's there too if you want to check it out. Thanks @minswaeg!
> 
> Spoiler for next chapter: Tango???
> 
> Any ideas who the spoiler is referring to? Maybe a certain pair will meet again... hm?


	22. Chapter 22

22:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Time is a fluid thing.

It is fickle too. 

It brought misery to some and joy to others. 

J leaned forward, dragging his fingers across the smooth surface of the Aetherius Aurora, as the soft ticking of the ornate grandfather clock rang out in the silence of the room. The pink diamond weighed heavily in his hands. To J, it was laughable, just how many people wanted to get their hands on it. 

"You seem bored." 

J turned his head at the voice. Perched on the window sill was a lithe figure dressed in a pinstripe suit, with a white lab coat, its sleeves too long for him. Neatly styled pitch black hair framed a young face and dark eyes stared out at him from behind wire-rimmed glasses. Amused. Questioning.

"Why are you here?" J shifted in his chair, slipping the Aetherius Aurora back into it black safe. 

"You always told me to get some fresh air every now and then."

J tipped his head, resting it against his right hand as he watched the boy stand.

"I know better than to believe that."

"I know you do." The boy laughed softly behind his lab coat sleeve. "I came because you said you had a new toy for me."

The boy moved quickly, sitting on top of J's desk.

"Well? Where is it?" The boy's voice shook with excitement, his eyes looking near wild. "I haven't had a good toy in a while. The others all break before I can do anything fun with them."

J held up a hand, silencing the boy's murmurs.

"I can't give him to you directly. You're going to have to get him yourself."

"What?" The boy's nose scrunched in disbelief. "But you _always_ get my toys for me."

"This one's special." J replied. "He won't come easy."

"Well I do like challenges." The boy sighed. "So tell me. What's he like?"

"I can't tell you much, but I can give you a picture."

J handed the boy a picture.

There was a pause as the boy looked closely at it, his eyes narrowing slightly before he looked up at J.

"My, my. So this the one you mentioned. The one from that party?"

J nodded. "So, what do you think?"

"I'll take him." The boy smiled, stroking the picture fondly. "It's been so long since I've had a good toy."

J smiled. "I'm glad you like him."

"Hmm, what subject number do you think I should give him? Oh, I have so many I haven't used yet! Dear me. The details! The experiments! I _have_ to pick a good one. One worthy of such a beautiful subject. Oh, once I'm done. He'll be a god!" The boy exclaimed with feverish joy. " _A god made flesh_!"

The boy grinned wildly, his hands shaking in feral exhilaration. He turned to J again, eyes wide.

"Oh, this will be a fun game!"

J arched an eyebrow and the boy sobered.

"My apologies." The boy coughed in embarrassment. "I lost myself there."

"You always do. That's why you're one of the best."

The boy smiled, but is wasn't shyly. It was knowingly.

"Of course I am!" He puffed up his chest.

"Do you have it?" J pointed at the boy's pocket.

"Always."

The boy reached into his pocket, pulling a syringe, filled with a neon green liquid that glowed on its own. He placed the syringe on J's desk, just beside his hand.

"Your time is running out." The boy sighed mournfully. "You should come back home for a bit. Let me run some diagnostics. The others worry."

J didn't answer. His eyes settling on the syringe as the clock tick-tocked in the background.

"I know what I am doing. You don't need to worry. Neither do the others."

J pushed aside the safe box that held Aetherius Aurora, bringing it to the boy's attention.

"Do they know?" The boy pointed at the safe box.

"Who?"

"Blackpink."

"That we are here?" J gestured languidly at the room they were in. "Here in their little safe house? No. No they don't."

The boy frowned. "So, you don't want the diamond?"

J smiled. "I don't want it. Nor do I care for it. It is nothing to me."

"Then why all this?" The boy pointed out the window to the city of Seoul. "Why the race?"

"You know why." J whispered.

"You should tell them."

"It's none of their business."

"Aren't they are our allies?" 

"We don't have allies. We have pawns. There is a difference."

The boy shrugged, tucking the picture into his pocket, as he headed towards the window.

"Do take care of yourself." He called as he settled onto the window sill with his back to J. 

"You know I can." J replied.

The boy turned around, pointing a warning finger at J. "I'd really hate it if you put all my work to waste."

J glanced down at the syringe, then he looked at the boy.

"Don't worry about me."

"I'm not." The boy turned away. "The others are. They're getting restless. They want to come out too, you know."

"Tell them to wait a bit longer." J called. "It's not our time yet."

The boy smiled, giving a mini salute. "Will do. See ya!"

With that, he pushed himself off the window sill and out into the night.

J stood up, walking over to the window the boy had just jumped from. He gazed down at Seoul, from the twenty-first floor.

_Ah, when will that kid stop being so reckless?"_

J closed the window shut, locking it tightly before placing the safe back in its original place. He pulled on his suit jacket, tucked the syringe in his pocket, and stopped just in front of the grandfather clock, that kept ticking.

He looked at his reflection in the polished glass, blood red eyes stared back at him, cooly. He reached up, his hand stopping just under his eye, dragging from the inner to the outer lost in thought. 

It had been a long time since his eyes had been brown. 

Years. 

Time had passed. The clock had kept ticking. 

They were red now. 

Vermilion red.

_"Your eyes a fine. They are pretty."_

_"You think so?"_

_"Of course! Brown eyes are handsome."_

_"Really?" He was crying now. All over again._

_His hyung smiled brightly and wiped his tears out from under his eyes._

_"I think your eyes are the handsomest."_

_"Okay. If you say so, hyung."_

J dropped his hand down to his side.

"Hyung, you are nothing but a liar." J whispered into the air. "Nothing but a liar."

From behind J there was a sudden soft thud. He turned slowly to face the figure in shadows.

Red eyes gleamed out in the darkness. Slowly another boy stepped out of the darkness. He was just as lithe as the one that had left but more muscular. He wore all black leather with a mask covering the lower half of his face. His hair was a maroon red, with two slits through his eyebrow. The boy immediately crouched down onto one knee, his head bowed to J in respect.

"Report?"

"They've taken the bait. Park Chanyeol has been extracted by Exo. I believe they will make their move on the Aetherius Aurora next."

J smiled. "And agent Xiumin? How is he?"

"He is conducting the team as you predicted. He sustained no damage from his team's previous mission. However, other agents did sustain damage. Should I make a move?"

"Be here to greet them when they come for the diamond." J instructed.

"What of Blackpink?"

"They aren't a concern. If they ask, just say you are extra protection." J replied. "Keep tabs on Exo. I want to know their every move."

"Of course."

The boy quickly stood up, before bowing sharply. As he turned to leave, J called out to him again.

"Be sure to go alone. Bringing the others will draw too much attention."

The boy nodded. 

"As you wish."

\---

A sudden shiver ran down K's spine. 

He silently set down his fork and knife beside his plate, his head turning slightly towards the barely audible sound of approaching footsteps. 

"Agent Jimin." K called out. "What have I told you about sneaking into my residence?"

The was a soft sigh, followed by movement within the shadows of the dining room. Agent Jimin stepped out of the darkness, his face cool and passive as he approached K. The young agent a bit looked different now. His newly dyed silver and grey hair was combed back neatly from his face. He wore all black combat gear, a simple katana strapped to his back with a gun strapped to his thigh and waist. It made him a bit older, but K kept the comment to himself. After all, agent Jimin wasn't the joking type.

"I was not sneaking in. Then again, if I was, you would have called me out like you just did." Jimin replied curtly. "You are always one step ahead, sir."

_Always?_

"Report?"

"Team Exo appears to be managing well against Blackpink. They've gained intel on one of Blackpink's helpers. A man named Park Chanyeol. They've also appeared to make progress in locating the Aetherius Aurora's whereabouts. Although, I must ask..." Jimin trailed off, his eyes watching K's face closely.

"Ask away."

"Why would you place agents Baekhyun and D.O on the same team? You do know the history between the two, yes?"

K picked up his wine, swirling it in the glass. Its colors flashed in the dim yellow light. And for a moment, briefer than a blink, he saw red. 

Vermillion red.

"They are capable people. They have a mission. They will complete it, despite their differences."

"You believe Taeyeon's death is nothing to them now?" Jimin stared at K in disbelief. "After the way agent D.O killed her, you believe agent Baekhyun has forgiven him?"

"I do not know, nor do I care about that subject." K replied. "Their priority is the Aetherius Aurora."

Jimin didn't speak. His face remained impassive as he watched K drink his wine. 

"Do you wish for me to interfere?"

"No. Exo can handle themselves." K replied. "I have a new mission for you. Sit."

Jimin shook his head. "No need, sir. Standing is fine."

K turned back to his meal and pulled out a thin black folder from under his place mat, before handing it to Jimin.

Jimin grabbed it quickly without a word and began leafing through the papers.

"I want to you find that man." K spoke. "I _need_ to know if he is in Seoul right now."

"May I ask why, sir?" Jimin set the folder down, watching K closely. 

"He is involved with the Aethrius Aurora and he is one of Blackpink's wealthiest benefactors."

"He sounds just like the others." Jimin pointed to the photographs of Bakari Najomba, Duchess Fairchild, James Wellington, Wei Linh, and Marcellano Cortez.

"He is _not_." K snapped.

Jimin frowned. He rarely if ever heard K sound so riled up. So nervous. Vulnerable.

"He's wearing a mask." Jimin held up another photo from the file. "How will I find him?"

"His eyes." K replied. "His eyes are red."

"There are no such thing as red eyes, unless they are contacts." Jimin countered. "What if he removes them?"

"Those are not contacts he is wearing, Jimin. That is his _true_ eye color."

Jimin looked down at the picture, staring into the emotionless face of a man, K wanted to track. 

_Who was this man? Why did he strike K with fear? What did he want with the Aetherius Aurora?_

Jimin pushed away his curiosity and tucked the folder away. He would find out soon anyway, it'd be more fun to find out later than now.

"What should I do if I meet him? Should I bring him in?"

"No." K replied. "If he is brought into the agency, he can cause much more damage. Report to me alone when you find him. Do not tell other agents of your mission. This is top secret. Understood?"

"Of course, sir." Jimin replied. "And what if I encounter team Exo?"

"Do not introduce yourself. Evade them if possible. If it comes to combat, fight them. They must not know of your connection to me. You are a ghost operative. If they discover who you are, more trouble will follow."

"What about agent D.O? He knows about me."

K mouth opened and closed.

He hadn't spoken to the agent since assigning him to the Aetherius Aurora mission. There had been a time when D.O was the one standing in front of him instead of Jimin. D.O had been K's right hand. He had always been by K's side, right up until that _one_ mission. The one that had made D.O resign, with Jimin to take his place.

_"What's this?" K looked at the simple folded piece of paper on his desk._

_"A resignation letter." D.O sat down in the chair before him._

_"You're leaving the agency?"_

_"No. I'm leaving_ you _. I cannot be your right hand, sir. You need a new first Palm."_

_"Why?"_

_"I can't. What--- what I've done." D.O's voice trailed off into a whisper. "I won't be any use to you. Not with the way I am right now."_

_K glanced at D.O's hands, noticing the slight tremors running through them, his nails were short too. Like he had chewed through them in nervousness. Looking back at D.O's face he could see it. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, his lips were chapped and his skin looked clammy._

_"You need someone to take your place. Do you have any recommendations?"_

_"Agent Jimin. He's the second Palm. He can easily transition to first Palm."_

_"He won't forgive you for this you know." K chuckled. "You've handed the position over to him without a fight."_

_"He'll be too busy with your tasks to hunt me down." D.O replied softly. "Please, send him my congratulations, sir."_

_K watched D.O stand and leave._

_"First Palm is always open to you. If you want it." K called._

_"Once I close this door behind me, I will never be the first Palm again. I am sorry, sir." D.O shook his head with a sad smile._

K swallowed. Now was not the time to be sentimental.

"Do not speak to him. If you must, just tell him you are on a mission for me. Do not specify what you are doing."

"As you wish, sir." Jimin bowed, tucking the folder under his arm as he turned to leave. 

"Jimin?"

"Yes sir?"

"Do not alert any of the other Palms of this mission. Especially the _third_ Palm."

"As you wish sir. After all, she would only want to interfere in team Exo's mission." Jimin replied.

With that, K's first Palm vanished into the shadows, the only sound of his departure was the creak of the door as it closed.

K turned back to his wine, picking up the glass before bringing it to his lips.

As the wine swirled towards his mouth, K saw a flash vermillion red.

He gasped, dropping the wine. The glass clattered against his plate soaking his steak and the clean white table clothe red. The wine dribbled down the table and onto K's clenched white hands.

"Damn you." K hissed. "Damn you!"

### Notes:

I'm back again! (☆ω☆) 

Here's another chapter! 

I love suspense so this is a sorta vague chapter. But I'd love to read your comments on who you think is who. I didn't give a lot of hints, but feel free to guess!

In case you were wondering, this chapter is a bit of foreshadowing into the The Cube (sequel). I really wanted the two to be closely connected so here's this chapter. Don't worry, we'll be returning to the agents of Exo soon enough.

What did you think of this chapter? Any guesses about who the two boys J was talking to are? Who are the "others"? Any guesses as to what the boy gave J in that syringe? Why is J running out of time? Let me know what you think!

Also, I finally introduced Jimin! (*°▽°*) 

Yes, he is an agent of SM. I'm using SM as the spy agency, please don't harp at me that he's from Big Hit (I already know that), he's from SM in this fic because I just didn't want to complicate this fic further. Competing agencies is just too much. Thank you. (￣ ￣|||)

So Jimin is K's first Palm. In case you were wondering what a Palm is, they are basically the most elite members of the agency. They mostly do solo missions under K's direct order. D.O was once one of them. Do you know why he left? Who do you think is the third Palm (Jimin mentioned them)? What did you think about K? 

Hint/Spolier: When Exo goes to get the diamond, they may have some unexpected company. (￢‿￢ )

Also... do you think there is a connection between J and K (other than the fact that these two letters are next to each other in the alphabet)?

Let me know what you thought about this chapter in the comments!＼(≧▽≦)／

Thanks for reading! See you next chapter.

P.S. The reason I posted the notes here is because I had a lot to say and the Notes wouldn't allow me to type more than 1250 characters... I'm really sorry if this causes confusion. I get super excited when I post and I end up writing too much. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason I posted the notes in the chapter is because I had a lot to say and the Notes wouldn't allow me to type more than 1250 characters... sorry. I get super excited when I post and I end up writing too much. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)


	23. Chapter 23

23:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

"So, you and Rosé?" Chen's eyes peered at Chanyeol just over the folder he was flipping through.

"What about us?"

"Are you two a thing?"

"A thing?" Chanyeol swallowed. "No, not at all."

_”I like you.”_

_“Oh? Do you now?” She laughed. ___

"You took some time to answer that." Chen's eyes narrowed as his lips pulled up into a smile.

"I'm just surprised you asked." Chanyeol rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wouldn't it make much more sense for her to do you that favor if she was your girlfriend?" Chen pressed.

__"Look, Chan."_ _

__"It's Chen."_ _

__"Chen, look. Rosé and I were _never_ a thing, okay? Never. We were childhood friends before. Now our relationship was strictly business."_ _

__"So how much did you do for her?"_ _

__"Not a lot. A decent amount, I guess." Chanyeol tapped his forefinger against the metal table. "Most of my projects were just me. Rosé stopped by here and there to ask for help with new stuff every now and then."_ _

__"How'd you get the nickname Virus?"_ _

__"Oh that?" Chanyeol leaned back in his seat, and scratched his cheek. "I rig all my stuff. There's a chip in every product I make. I mean, what if I send a client their product and they don't pay up? Well, once activated remotely, the product starts to malfunction, because of the chip."_ _

__"That's crude."_ _

__"It's effective. I've been ripped off a lot. And I _hate_ being ripped off."_ _

__"Does it explode?"_ _

__"Nah," Chanyeol shook his head. "I'm not that mean. The circuits fry and all that, but no explosion."_ _

__Chen nodded slowly. Just as he was about to open his mouth, the door to the room swung open. A man, roughly the same height as Chen, stood in the doorway._ _

__He and Chen exchanged a look, and Chen abruptly stood._ _

__"Well," Chen looked to Chanyeol with a knowing smile. "Looks like our time together is up."_ _

__Chanyeol glanced between Chen and the other man rapidly._ _

__"Don't worry too much. Xiumin doesn't bite." Chen laughed._ _

__Chen turned to Xiumin. “Chanyeol’s been cooperative.”_ _

__Xiumin merely nodded._ _

__Xiumin somehow managed to remind Chanyeol of his horrible high school history teacher and a high school freshman simultaneously. That was terrifying. It was something in his straight posture, with his hands behind his back. Xiumin had a youthful face, young and innocent if not a little plump. His gaze was neutral, yet Chanyeol felt his blood run cold._ _

__"Hello Chanyeol."_ _

__"Hi." Chanyeol answered meekly. Oh, what he would give to be talking to Chen instead of Xiumin._ _

__Xiumin sat across from Chanyeol after Chen closed the door behind him._ _

__“I’m here to talk to you about your options.”_ _

__“Options?” Chanyeol squeaked. “Y- you, you’re not gonna kill me, are you?”_ _

__“Kill you?” Xiumin tipped his head. “No. Why would we do that?”_ _

__“Well, I got kidnapped? You guys are secret agents and you might want me dead so no one else knows you exist?”_ _

__Xiumin smiled and Chanyeol shrank in his chair._ _

__“We don’t kill unless it is absolutely necessary. Considering you’ve never committed any crimes of mass destruction, I’d say you’re in the clear.”_ _

__Chanyeol heaved a sigh of relief._ _

__“I wouldn’t be so relieved just yet.” Xiumin held up a single white sheet of paper with very small font. “With all the things you’ve made for Blackpink and several other people, you could be looking at fifty years in prison.”_ _

__“Fifty?!”_ _

__“Yes. But that is only the first option.”_ _

__“What’s the second?” Chanyeol blurted. He lurched forward his eyes watching Xiumin desperately._ _

__“Simple. You work for Exo. Help us bring down Blackpink. You’ll get pardoned for it.”_ _

__“Bring down Blackpink?” Chanyeol whispered._ _

__His mind flashed back to Rosé._ _

___“Betray me Chanyeol and I put Yoora on tomorrow’s front page."_ _ _

__“I can’t.”_ _

__Xiumin blinked. “You know most people would prefer working instead of an eight by eight cell.”_ _

__“That’s not what I mean.” Chanyeol looked down at his hands. “I would. I swear I would do it but, I-- I need a favor first.”_ _

__“You’re in no position to ask for favors.” Xiumin replied coolly._ _

__“I know that.” Chanyeol’s hands had started shaking against, rattling the chains of his cuffs. “Look, I know. But I need this done, before I can really help.”_ _

__“What is it?”_ _

__“Rose keeps a log of all the favors she gives and to who. It’s not digital because she’s afraid she might get hacked one day, so she writes it all down. I need you to bring that log to me. If she has that log, she has my name for the favor I needed for Yoora. She’ll blackmail me and drag Yoora down. I can’t have that.”_ _

__“You want _us_ to retrieve a log that we don’t even know exists?”_ _

__“I’ll cooperate fully. I swear!” Chanyeol looked pleadingly into Xiumin’s eyes._ _

__“How do I know it’s not a trap?”_ _

__“You don’t.” Chanyeol looked back down at his hands. “But I’m telling the truth. Please.”_ _

__“Any ideas where it could be?”_ _

__“It’s wherever Blackpink’s safehouse is. The book is always in her room.”_ _

__“And how do you know this?”_ _

__“I’ve been there every now and then to delivery updates on products. Her room has a “Keep Out” sign with roses around it.”_ _

__“What does the log look like?”_ _

__“I’m not sure.”_ _

__Xiumin’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you’re not sure? Are you even sure Rosé has a log to begin with?”_ _

__“I am! She’s mentioned it and so have the rest of Blackpink.”_ _

__Xiumin sighed and rubbed his temples in thought. After a moment of tense silence, he opened his eyes._ _

__“Fine. You have yourself a deal.”_ _

__After all, Xiumin needed to get to Blackpink’s safehouse anyway. The information the mysterious J had given him indicated that the Aetherius Aurora could be there. It would be hitting two birds with one stone._ _

__“Thank you.”_ _

__“Don’t thank me.” Xiumin replied. “We need to discuss your role in the mission.”_ _

__“That being?”_ _

__“You were building cars for Blackpink for the race at the end of this week, correct?”_ _

__“I finished building them, yes.”_ _

__Xiumin nodded._ _

__“I need you to do the same here.”_ _

__“Why?”_ _

__Xiumin didn’t feel like explaining himself to the other. He worried that if the team was unable to retrieve the Aetherius Aurora they would have to join the race._ _

__“I just need the cars. Can you have them done by the end of this week?”_ _

__“In a week? A week!” Chanyeol sputtered._ _

__Xiumin merely stared at him._ _

__“Maybe.” Chanyeol shrank. “I need to see what I’m working with first.”_ _

__Xiumin pulled out a thick packet and flipped to the last page._ _

__“Sign here.”_ _

__“Wait, what’s this for?”_ _

__“Legal documentation that you are working for our agency on this case. You must adhere to all agency rules and regulations.”_ _

__“Why does it seem like I’m selling my soul?” Chanyeol chuckled weakly._ _

__Xiumin watched Chanyeol sign his name in silence._ _

__And that was how Chanyeol found himself fidgeting nervously under the blazing gaze of seven pairs of eyes. Everyone looked fairly cold blooded, except for a man who was bent over a computer completely oblivious to Chanyeol’s existence. There was a short guy in the back of the room with thick eyebrows. Despite how round his eyes were (and that he was more than a head shorter than Chanyeol), he still made Chanyeol’s knees knock together in utter fear._ _

__"Alright everyone, this is Chanyeol. He'll be working with us for the rest of this mission." Xiumin introduced him._ _

__“Hello Chanyeol.” Sehun dragged out the letters in Chanyeol’s name with a smirk. He had changed his outfit. He was head-to-toe in black gear beside Kai who had nodded in greeting._ _

__Chanyeol glared at the two. He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them._ _

__“So we’re working with a criminal.”_ _

__All heads turned at D.O’s voice._ _

__“D.O, please, I think this is beneficial.” Lay interjected. “Besides he wouldn’t be here if Xiumin thought he wasn’t going to help.”_ _

__Lay could see the annoyance on D.O’s face and it was fairly unsettling. D.O looked more tired than usual and during their time in the briefing room, he had watched his friend glance in Baekhyun’s direction more than once. Like he had something he wanted to say, but couldn’t. D.O looked haunted, to say the least._ _

__“How low are we planning on going here? Weren't you just interrogating him? He’s fulfilled his purpose. We don’t need him anymore.” D.O snapped._ _

__Chanyeol took a step back. That short man was terrifying._ _

__“Chanyeol has offered to fully cooperate with us in this mission. He’s staying.” Xiumin replied. “Besides he has useful information and other talents.”_ _

__D.O fixed Chanyeol with a cold._ _

__With that D.O stepped past Chanyeol and left the briefing room. Lay gave Xiumin an apologetic look before leaving after D.O._ _

__“I’ll go talk some sense into him.” Lay smiled before vanishing down the hallway._ _

__“I’m working with _these_ guys.” Chanyeol stage whispered to Xiumin. _ _

__“We should get you started.” Xiumin ignored Chanyeol’s clear fear. “Follow me. I’ll show you the cars you need to work on.”_ _

__“Already?”_ _

__“The sooner you get started the better.”_ _

__Xiumin led Chanyeol through long hallways before stopping at a single door. When he showed Chanyeol in, his jaw dropped._ _

__“Holy shit! Whoa this is amazing.”_ _

__Chanyeol stared at the long row of cars under bright lights. Across from the cars was a large workbench with a wall of tools._ _

__“These are all agency cars, most of them are state of the art, but considering the race, I was hoping you could improve the cars. Preferably the way you adjusted Blackpink’s. The tools here are all yours to use too.”_ _

__Chanyeol barely heard Xiumin as he ran from car to car, marveling their sleek exteriors. He turned to Xiumin with the eyes of a kid on Christmas._ _

__“Can I pop the hood?”_ _

__“Feel free.”_ _

__Chanyeol opened the hood and peered in excitedly, but his smile was quickly replaced with a frown._ _

__“Are you kidding me? This is _cutting edge_?!”_ _

__Xiumin walked over._ _

__“Yes, these are the agency’s best---”_ _

__“I mean look at this engine! Is this a car for someone’s grandmother? You want to race with this?!” Chanyeol gestured to the rather neat looking interior of the car like it had offended him._ _

__“I don’t know what you mean.”_ _

__“Oh come on. You didn’t actually think this shit would work did you?”_ _

__Xiumin tipped his head his eyes narrowing at Chanyeol’s swear. Oblivious to Xiumin’s annoyance, Chanyeol continued._ _

__“This isn’t cutting edge.” Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “Basically every sports car out there has the same engine. You’ll be left in the dust during the race. Going with the status quo won’t help you win that diamond. Besides not everything I need is here, anyway.”_ _

__“What do you need then?”_ _

__“NOS.”_ _

__“What? ” Xiumin’s eyes widened. “You need NOS? That’s too dangerous!”_ _

__Chanyeol snorted at that._ _

__“Do you want to win or not? Blackpink has NOS fixtures in their cars because they requested them. You race against them with this and see what happens. They’ll leave you in the dust.”_ _

__Xiumin rubbed his temples._ _

__“We’ll get you the NOS, but the cars need to be done by this week.”_ _

__“The most cars I can finish for you is three. And that’s if everything works perfectly, which by the way, it never does.”_ _

__“Can you get it done?”_ _

__“I can try.”_ _

__\----_ _

__“D.O!”_ _

__D.O walked briskly ignoring Lay’s calls._ _

__“Kyungsoo!”_ _

__D.O stopped at the sound of his name._ _

__“What?” He spat at Lay._ _

__“What’s with you?” Lay stopped in front of D.O. “I’ve never seen you like this.”_ _

__“Like what?”_ _

__“Scared.”_ _

__“You think _I'm_ scared?” D.O hissed. “What do you think I’m scared of?”_ _

__“You haven’t been sleeping.”_ _

__“I don’t need it.”_ _

__“Your attitude,” Lay paused as he looked over D.O exhausted face. “Are you nightmares back?”_ _

__D.O’s eyes widened. " _Nightmares_? You think I have nightmares?”_ _

__Instantly Lay knew he had over stepped._ _

__“D.O look, I’m just worried that---”_ _

__“THAT WHAT?!” D.O roared. “What are you so worried about Lay?”_ _

__Lay didn’t flinch. Instead he remained completely calm as he watched D.O erupt._ _

__“Enough.” Lay placed his hands on D.O’s shoulders._ _

__D.O stopped yelling, his chest rising up and down as he tried to control himself._ _

__“This is about Baekhyun isn’t it?”_ _

__“Don’t talk about him.”_ _

__“I saw you.” Lay murmured. “You look at him like you’ve seen a ghost. That night wasn’t your fault. You had no choice.”_ _

__“Lay please.” D.O shrugged off Lay’s hands. “I need space.”_ _

__“You’ve had plenty of that.” Lay grabbed D.O’s arm. “Look, I’ll make you some sleeping tea after this mission so you don’t get those nightmares. You need a good head on your shoulders right now. The team needs you.”_ _

__D.O looked down._ _

__“You shouldn’t have snapped at Chanyeol. He’s here to help us. I’d rather have an ally rather than an enemy, don’t you think?”_ _

__“What do you mean?”_ _

__“Apologize.”_ _

__D.O stared at Lay for a minute in silence._ _

__“Apologize?”_ _

__“Yes.” Lay smiled (he had a terrifying habit of smiling like an angel during situations that were extremely uncomfortable for people other than himself) as his grip on D.O shoulder tightened painfully._ _

__“You will apologize. We can’t have inner turmoil while doing this mission. Imagine the kind of danger our team would be in if Chanyeol decided to betray us to Blackpink, simply because of the way to treated him just now. Such things will put us all at risk.”_ _

__D.O sighed. “I’ll apologize.”_ _

__“Good.” Lay smiled. “You better.”_ _

__As soon as D.O turned the corner and was out of sight, Lay remained in the hallway._ _

__“You can come out now, Chen.”_ _

__Chen stepped out from behind Lay._ _

__“You knew?”_ _

__“I always know.” Lay replied. “Why are you spying on me?”_ _

__“Not you.”_ _

__Lay turned to face Chen fully._ _

__“Why does D.O have your attention?”_ _

__“The same reason he has yours.”_ _

__Chen kept his eyes level with Lay’s. He had been avoiding the agent ever since the mission at the W hotel but D.O’s behavior as well as Baekhyun’s was concerning him._ _

__“Stay out of this.” Lay snapped. “You think I’ve forgotten what you did to Suho? You still haven’t told Xiumin the truth.”_ _

__“I told you I would after this mission is done.”_ _

__“And what if Suho dies? Have you ever thought of that? Will you still be able to tell Xiumin then?” Lay stepped closer to Chen, nearly backing him against the wall. “He’s untrained Chen. After what Blackpink did to you, do you still think Suho has a chance?”_ _

__“He won’t die.”_ _

__“Really now? You think agents are immortal?” Lay chuckled humorlessly._ _

__“No, no I don’t. But I won’t let anything happen to him.”_ _

__“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Lay hissed. “You’re just making up excuses so you don’t have to tell Xiumin. I warned you, Chen. If you don’t tell him. I _will_.”_ _

__Lay now had a finger in Chen’s chest, jabbing him repeatedly._ _

__“Get your finger off my chest.” Chen snarled._ _

__“If you don’t tell him after this mission, I will drag you in front of him and everyone else and tell them the truth.”_ _

__“Fuck you!” Chen snapped. He shoved Lay away._ _

__Lay’s lips curled._ _

__“So you _are_ afraid. You’re exactly the coward I thought you would be. I can't see what Xiumin sees in you.”_ _

__Lay had read everything from those two words. Chen wanted to punch something, preferably Lay’s face._ _

__“Leave me the fuck alone.” Chen glared. “I keep my promises, damn you.”_ _

__With that Chen, red faced and angry, turned on his heel and stormed away._ _

__\---_ _

__It was pouring when Jungkook set out for the corner store. Namjoon had given Jungkook a funny look when he had left the precinct early._ _

__“Where are you going?”_ _

__“Out.” Jungkook replied. He didn’t need Namjoon knowing that he was still on the case they had abandoned._ _

__Jungkook knew there was a cover up going on, what he couldn’t believe was that his hero, Detective Namjoon had dropped the case so easily._ _

__“Out where?”_ _

__Jungkook paused. Typically Namjoon was never curious about what he was doing. This was new._ _

__“I want some ramyeon. I’m starving.”_ _

__Just like that, something flew in the air and landed on Jungkook’s desk. Jungkook glanced at the crumpled bills and then at Namjoon who remained at his desk._ _

__“Pick one up for me.” Was all the senior detective said before turning back to his computer._ _

__“Of course, sir.”_ _

__Jungkook tucked the bills into his back pocket before setting off for the corner store. Once he reached the address he had scribbled down earlier, Jungkook pulled out his old beat up recorder and a small notepad. He took a deep breath and gave the rearview mirror his sternest look before stepping out of the car._ _

__“Oh, Detective Jeon, it’s good to see you!” Smiling widely was Mr. Kim’s son, Taehyung stood at the cash register._ _

__Jungkook had met the other man when he had come to the shop with Namjoon. Taehyung had introduced himself as a rather excitable struggling college student majoring in art. He still had his bright blue hair, which he had told Jungkook the other day that he was planning on changing it to black again._ _

__Jungkook glanced around the store, his eyes scanning for Mr. Kim’s familiar head of gray hair._ _

__“Where is mister Kim?” Jungkook frowned as he approached the counter._ _

__“Oh, my dad went out for some flowers. Today’s the big old anniversary so he won’t be here for the rest of the day.”_ _

__Jungkook sighed. He had wasted his time coming here. Without mister Kim, Jungkook couldn’t access the CCTV footage._ _

__“Oh, did you need something from my dad?” Taehyung leaned forward eagerly. “I can help!”_ _

__“Erm, no, I don’t think you can.” Jungkook shook his head. “Where’s your ramyeon?”_ _

__“Isle three.” Taehyung replied with a slight pout. “Are you sure I can’t help? Dad did mention you were after the CCTV footage from a while back. I can give you access.”_ _

__Jungkook stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at Taehyung in surprise._ _

__“You can?”_ _

__“Well, my dad owns this place and he isn’t here.” Taehyung smiled mischievously. “So technically that makes me the owner. Pick your ramyeon and come to the back, I’ll help you go through the CCTV footage.”_ _

__With that the quirky man gave Jungkook his back as he reshelved some cigarettes._ _

__Jungkook blinked at the sudden dismissal, but left anyways. After picking out the ramyeon Jungkook jogged back to the counter where Taehyung was waiting patiently._ _

__After ringing up his ramyeon, Taehyung showed Jungkook to the back of the store where an old computer showed the camera footage._ _

__“So were you with your father that night? Your father mentioned that he heard the men talking about heading to the Shilla. Did you hear anything else?” Jungkook asked as he watched Taehyung type in the password._ _

__“I was here, but I didn’t see who was here. I was sleeping.” Taehyung replied sheepishly. “Ah! Here it is.”_ _

__Taehyung scooted aside and watched Jungkook scan the footage. Jungkook paused just an hour before the time of Park Haeil’s murder._ _

__“Wait?” Jungkook’s eyes widened in shock. “Is that who I think it is?”_ _

__“Who?” Taehyung peered over Jungkook’s shoulder._ _

__Jungkook stared at the face on the screen in shock. Searching through isle three was a face he had seen before at his police academy graduation. That person had been standing next to Senator Oh during his speech the graduating cadets, Jungkook being among them._ _

___Wasn’t that Oh Hun? Senator Oh’s son?” Who were those other two men beside him? What did he have to do with Park Haeil’s death?_ _ _

__“Hey, isn’t that Senator Oh’s son?” Taehyung piped up._ _

__Instantly Jungkook realized he had made a mistake. He had exposed a civilian to a criminal case. Jungkook pulled out a USB drive and downloaded the footage and quickly shut off the computer before turning to Taehyung._ _

__“Look, erm…” Jungkook stared at the cheerful face that watched him with deep excitement._ _

___Shit. What’s his name? Taeho? Taeyang?_ _ _

__“Taehyung.” Taehyung smiled as though he had read Jungkook’s mind._ _

__“Look Taehyung, you can’t tell anyone about this. Not a single soul, for the sake of this investigation.”_ _

__“Oh, okay!” Taehyung smiled. “I totally get it. Undercover stuff right? So did Senator Oh’s son kill Park Haeil?”_ _

__“What?!” Jungkook squacked. “You can’t go around saying that stuff out loud! What if someone hears you?”_ _

__“I’m just asking?”_ _

__“Well, no. I mean _I_ don’t know.”_ _

__“So, when do we get the bad guys?” Taehyung was practically bouncing in his seat._ _

__" _We_? There is no “we”.” Jungkook huffed. “You aren’t a police officer.”_ _

__Taehyung pouted. “But I just helped you get some key evidence. Shouldn’t that get me some credit?”_ _

__“It should be getting you witness protection if it even gets you anything.” Jungkook snapped back. “Look Taehyung, I really appreciate the help, but I can’t have you in the investigation. It’s too dangerous.”_ _

__Taehyung sighed, slumping down in the chair to the point where he looked rather small._ _

__“Fine.” He grumbled. “You’re no fun.”_ _

__With a rather childish pout Taehyung pointed to the door._ _

__“You should go, considering you got what you came for in the first place.”_ _

__Oddly enough the look on Taehyung’s face made Jungkook feel incredibly guilty. The junior detective gave the store clerk an awkward bow before leaving with his ramyeon and the USB drive._ _

__After settling into his car, Jungkook thought about what he had seen in the video._ _

___Why was Senator Oh’s son with those two men? What connection did he have to Park Haeil’s murder?_ _ _

__Taehyung watched as Jungkook’s car drove away, tapping his fingers against the polished linoleum counter with amusement. He reached into his back pocket and pressed call for the single number on the phone._ _

__The call went straight to voicemail, which didn’t surprise Taehyung in the slightest, after the captain was always busy. First Palm business this and first Palm business that._ _

__“Ah, hello? Hey Captain it’s V. I think we might have a teensy weensy little problem. A little drummer boy is onto the agents. You-know-who is involved too.”_ _

__Taehyung ended the call and switched to a tracking app. A singular red dot blipped travelling down the city’s main road._ _

___This would be fun._ _ _

__\---_ _

__"A penny for your thoughts, Taeyong?"_ _

__Taeyong pushed his bright red hair out of his eyes as he turned towards the voice._ _

__The wind at the roof of the apartment complex was strong, whipping his hair left and right._ _

__"My thoughts are worth more than a penny."_ _

__Even though Ten was behind him, Taeyong knew the exact expression on his face._ _

__Pure amusement._ _

__"Right, right. Of course they are." Ten tugged his lab coat closer to his body._ _

__Ten moved out from behind Taeyong, jumping onto the ledge of the building. He walked lazily, not fazed by how he was a good 40 meters up from the stone concrete of the street below._ _

__And for a moment of silence, they both remember a time when their thoughts were worth nothing. When their lives were worth nothing._ _

__"Shouldn't you be on the next plane to London?"_ _

__Ten snorted. "I should be, but what J doesn't know won't kill him. I can always catch the next flight anyway."_ _

__A single photo is slid over to Taeyong and he looks at the face in the photo before looking at the other man._ _

__"What's this for?"_ _

__"He's one of the agents, I'm sure you know that. He'll be here, y'know. For the Aetherius Aurora." Ten's fingers twisted into his lab coat, playing with the stray threads._ _

__If Taeyong didn't know better, he would think the other had a crush on the man in the picture. But he knew better. Ten's flushed cheeks, fiddling fingers, and down cast eyes could fool anyone. Not Taeyong though._ _

__To anyone else it looked like an innocent childish crush._ _

__But to Taeyong, the look on the man's face was pure obsession._ _

__The kind a scientist had for a rare specimen. Or a new experiment._ _

__"What do you want me to do?"_ _

__"Test him out for me?" Ten grinned. "When you're done, I want a full report. Everything you noticed about him. I want to know everything."_ _

__Taeyong rolled his eyes before handing back the photo._ _

__"Since you're so invested in him, why don't you do it yourself?"_ _

__"J said we can't come out to play yet, you know that."_ _

__Taeyong pursed his lips._ _

__"Fine."_ _

__He turned back to look down at the city again. He had been waiting for Exo to show, but he had yet to see them._ _

__He was getting bored._ _

__There was silence between them again._ _

__"Eleven point four million people live in this city." Ten spoke up. "And none of them are him."_ _

__Taeyong's shoulders stiffen at that. He knew who he was talking about._ _

__"J's called off almost all the searches."_ _

__"What about Chicago?"_ _

__Taeyong knows the question is forbidden. But he asks anyway._ _

__"Has he searched Chicago?"_ _

__Ten spins a little on the ledge, but Taeyong isn't fazed. There was a time when Ten's actions would make Taeyong break into a cold sweat of worry, but not anymore._ _

__He spins again and laughs. His laughter is light and airy. The wind suddenly blows harder and snatches Ten laughter away, leaving nothing but silence._ _

__"No, he hasn't. I think, I think deep down J's too scared to set foot in that city." Ten said as he sat with his legs swinging back and forth._ _

__"Has J ever talked about it? About what happened that night?"_ _

__There was no answer, and yet it was an answer enough._ _

__J had probably never talked about it._ _

__"Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now." Ten jumped back beside Taeyong. "Take care."_ _

__With that, Ten handed Taeyong a single glass vial filled with a glowing green liquid._ _

__"I don't need it."_ _

__Seeing that liquid made Taeyong nervous. Nauseous._ _

__"You do." Ten pressed it into Taeyong's hand. "I know you've been testing yourself, but if you push yourself too far, you're going to need this."_ _

__Taeyong's fingers closed weakly on the vial after Ten left. He thought about throwing it over the edge, but he stopped himself as a sudden wave of memories crashed over him._ _

___The tremors were getting worse. His body shook uncontrollably as Taeyong bit back the desire to scream into the cold night air._ _ _

___It hurt. It hurt so much._ _ _

___"How long do you think this one will last?" One man joked to another._ _ _

___Just behind them, Taeyong saw a black bag being wheeled out._ _ _

___A small pale hand stuck out, limp and nearly blue._ _ _

___Another one of them was dead, and yet Taeyong felt a sick sort of envy towards that little body. He wished it was him instead. He'd rather be dead._ _ _

___Dying was easy._ _ _

___Living was hard._ _ _

___They stood in their white coats just outside Taeyong's cage, watching him through the reinforced glass barrier._ _ _

___Taeyong's right eye twitched as sweat dripped down his face, soaking into the thin pillow under his head. He was so hot, and yet so cold._ _ _

___His lips opened, a barely there whisper for help trickled past his lips which were cracked and dry. He had begged for water for hours._ _ _

___He had received none._ _ _

___What had he done to be treated so cruelly? Taeyong didn't remember._ _ _

___He clutched the flimsy mattress as the second wave of pain ravaged his body, his muscles cramping as Taeyong chest heaved and heaved for air he couldn't feel._ _ _

___Help me._ _ _

___Help me._ _ _

__Taeyong tucked the vial into his breast pocket and let his eyes wander to the street below._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there everyone! Greyscale's here! I know it's been a while, but here is chapter 23! (o´∀`o)/
> 
> School's been dragging me left and write but I am happy to finally post something for you all to read! Initially this chapter was supposed to be longer (it's already 17 pages) but I thought it would be better for my health if I just split it in half. I am really sorry for keeping you all waiting. Please be patient with me. (*/ω＼) 
> 
> Also a lot of the parts I've tried to italicize didn't show up on this and it's low-key (high-key actually) pissing me off. ٩(╬ʘ益ʘ╬)۶ 
> 
> I'll try to find a way to fix it later.(-ω-、) 
> 
> So back to the story! 
> 
> Chanyeol finally meets the agents of Exo and has a bit of a bumpy start. What did you think about it? What did you think about Lay and D.O's little chat? What was your favorite part of this chapter?
> 
> What did you think of Detective Jungkook's work? And yes, Taehyung works in the agency too! He is Jimin's right hand man so to say! What do you think is going to happen? 
> 
> Also... Scientist Ten?!
> 
> In my heart of hearts I have always wanted a crazy scientist character and Ten seemed like the perfect fit. What did you think of him and Taeyong? Any guess as to what the green liquid Ten keeps handing out is? Any guesses about Taeyong's past?
> 
> Also please let me know if there are any grammatical mistakes or misspellings, so I can fix them. 
> 
> Please let me know in the comments! 
> 
> My Twitter is @grreyscale and my Instagram is @grreyscale_ I post art on both and also feel free to come say hi! I'm always up for a good chat!
> 
> 'Til next time! ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)


	24. Chapter 24

00:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

When everyone was brought into the briefing room again, the atmosphere was tense. Baekhyun’s eyes flickered worriedly at Chen’s stormy face.

“Hey, what’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” Chen snapped. He turned slightly giving Baekhyun his back. 

Baekhyun blinked at the sudden cold shoulder from Chen.

“Hey, look if this is something I---.”

“It’s not.” Chen was curt, his eyes trained on elsewhere.

Baekhyun frowned. “Okay.”

Baekhyun turned his attention back to the front of the room where Xiumin stood talking to Lay and D.O.

As if sensing Baekhyun’s eyes on him, D.O turned to meet his gaze. Their eyes locked for a moment, before they both looked away quickly, scalded by each other’s gazes.

Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the searing rage that was bubbling up. 

D.O rumbled his temples, flashes of his last nightmare dancing before his eyes.

“D.O?” 

He blinked as Xiumin and Lay watched him with concern.

“I’m fine.”

Lay opened his mouth, but D.O stopped him.

“I’ll take the tea after this mission.”

“You could just sit this one out.” Lay sighed.

“I’ve sat out too many.” D.O chuckled humorlessly. “Besides, I have someone I need to evaluate. This is a good time to see how Kai works up close.”

Xiumin butted in at this point.

“Kai’s a good agent. One of the best, so you’ll probably have very little to pick at.”

Lay snorted as D.O gave Xiumin a tired smile.

“The better the agent, the more D.O picks at them. I’d say Kai’s in it for this one.” Lay smiled.

Xiumin narrowed his eyes at that. 

“Well, I hope you have limits, D.O.”

D.O heard the warning as clear as a bell. 

“Right.”

\---

“Baekhyun, D.O, and Suho will be a team.” The moment the words left Lay’s mouth, D.O died inside.

Silence fell upon the room as eyes bounced between D.O and Baekhyun. Despite not all agents knowing the true issue between D.O and Baekhyun, the recent days had shown the tension between the two well enough.

Sehun raised a hand, probably to comment on the team assignment, but swiftly put his hand down when D.O glared at him.

“Why?” Chen’s sharp tone cut through the air. “Baekhyun and I are usually a team, we work best together.”

“I think it’s best that someone stay with Suho. We need him to get in and disable any electronic security systems in the building. D.O and Baekhyun can keep him safe. Baekhyun’s disguises can keep Suho hidden, and D.O will deal with any hiccups.”

Chen pursed his lips but didn’t say anything else. Lay glanced at Baekhyun who’s laid back posture had become rigid and stiff. 

“It’s fine.” Baekhyun sighed. “Let’s just get this shit over and done with.”

D.O couldn’t agree more.

\---

The tension in the air was so thick, Kai could have cut himself a slice of it. 

“So, we get the log and get the diamond. In and out as fast as possible. Understood?” Xiumin’s voice rang clear in Kai’s comm unit.

“Roger that.” Baekhyun replied. “What’s our time window?”

“One hour.”

“That’s suspicious.” Sehun muttered from beside Kai. “One hour is way too long. Blackpink would leave the Aetherius Aurora for that long? Unguarded?”

Both Sehun and Kai were dressed as a moving crew, like the other agents. They were pretending to move boxes in for the “new couple”, Baekhyun and Suho.

“They most likely have some security measures in place. Be careful.” Lay’s voice crackled through the comm. “I have a feeling this will be much harder than we think.”

“Stick to your covers for now. Don’t break them unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Xiumin warned. 

“That’s for you Kai.” Chen chuckled through the comm unit. “You don’t want to end up being Jennie’s punching bag again, do you?”

“That’s rich coming from the guy who almost became Jennie’s pin cushion.”

“Oh fuck you.” 

Laughter filled the comms, easing the tension just a bit, as Chen muttered something about smothering Kai in his sleep. 

“Xiumin.” D.O’s voice cut through the laughter. “Are you sure our window is one hour?” 

“It should be, L’s scans told us all targets had left the building.”

“There’s this boy on the floor. He’s been eyeing us for a while.” D.O replied. “And it doesn’t look like he’s leaving.”

D.O kept his eyes on the young man standing at the end of the hall. The young man leaned against the wall, watching them intently through the strands of his dark red hair. His gaze never left D.O’s as D.O ushered Baekhyun and Suho into the apartment quickly. He promptly locked the door behind them, ignoring the frown Baekhyun was giving him.

“A kid? Are you sure you’re not being jumpy?” Xiumin asked as he made his way to the floor that D.O’s team was on.

“Short red hair, slit through one of his eyebrows. I can’t see if he’s armed. If he is, he’s really good at hiding it. He looked me in the eyes, Xiumin. He knows.”

Xiumin pursed his lips.

“Where are you guys?” 

“In the apartment.”

“Good, just get Suho to disable the Phantom program in the apartment’s network.”

“Kai and Sehun, go after the log. Chen and Lay, you guys go after the diamond. I’ll keep an eye out. Be careful. We want to finish this mission fast. The shorter it takes the better.”

“Aye, aye captain.” Baekhyun chirped through the comm.

“I’ll get started.” Suho quickly pulled out his equipment, hustling around as he set up the laptop.

Baekhyun wandered over to the window in the living room, keeping his distance from D.O who kept watch by the door. 

When Lay had announced teams, Baekhyun for a moment had wanted nothing more than to leap over a table and strangle the senior agent. But at the same time he was tired. As much as D.O’s presence made his blood boil, Baekhyun couldn’t help but notice the worn out state of the other. Perhaps he pitied D.O a little. Maybe. 

Baekhyun had once heard a saying, something about anger being a fuel that burns too quickly, and leaves nothing in its wake but emptiness. But his anger, his rage, never burned out. There were times when it flared up like a volcano, erupting through every vessel and pore on his body, rearing its ugly head at any unfortunate soul that managed to get in his way. And then there were other times when it simmered, slithering in his veins and coiling around his heart, whispering in his ears, hiding itself just under his skin. Waiting, waiting, waiting, _wanting_.

Making himself comfortable on the couch, Baekhyun busied himself by tossing one of his combat knives up and down, occasionally glancing at Suho’s back, slightly hunched over his laptop typing away quickly. Then he looked at D.O who paced back and forth in front of the door, peering through the small peep hole at the boy they had seen loitering down the hall.

“Keep walking like that and you might just wear down the floor.” Baekhyun called to D.O.

“That kid isn’t gone.”

“So?” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “It’s just some kid. You think too much.”

“And you think too little.” D.O shot back.

“I think too little?” Baekhyun sat up on the couch. “Me?”

D.O turned to face Baekhyun, his gaze cool.

“Yes, you. You don’t think, you don’t plan, you’re impulsive. You dive into things head first without a care in the world. It’s a wonder to me that you’re still alive sometimes.”

“Oh, so you were aiming at me that night?” Baekhyun sneered. “You’re a lousy shot then.”

“I wasn’t aiming at you.” D.O snapped. 

“So you did intend to kill her. Right there in front of me.” 

“Stop it.”

“I won’t.” Baekhyun was on his feet now. The rage was bubbling, it was starting to seep out.

 _Not here. Not in front of Suho._ A small voice whispered in the back of his head.

Baekhyun chose to ignore it.

“You never did tell me. No matter how much I asked you. No matter how much I begged you. My own mentor. The fucker I thought was worthy enough to look up to. You killed one of your own. One of us! You think you have a right to judge me? ME?!” Baekhyun was yelling now.

D.O glared. 

“Lower your voice.”

“Answer the motherfucking question.”

“I had a job. I did it.”

“ _We are agents not assassins_. That’s what you preached every single fucking lesson, only to go and kill Taeyeon!”

There is was. 

D.O’s blinked, a muscle jumping in his jaw. 

“You can air your grievances later Baekhyun we have a mission right now. Stay. On. Task.”

“Fuck the task!” Baekhyun roared, he shot forward, faster than D.O could react and slammed his against the wall of the hallway. D.O didn’t react, his face uncannily neutral as he looked into Baekhyun’s eyes. It was the same look he had had on his face that night on the roof, just after he had killed Taeyeon. 

“You always run. You coward! Everytime I ask for answers you _run_. You’re absolutely pathetic! Don’t you ever get sick of yourself?! Huh? Or do you just get off on killing people? She was your friend, D.O. Your friend and my, my--!” 

The loud sound of a phone ringing cut off their argument. Their heads turned towards the tinny sound of Tokyo Drift filling the room.

Suho blushing and flustered, hurriedly turned off his phone.

"You put Tokyo Drift as your freaking ringtone?" Baekhyun rose an eyebrow. 

"I thought it kind of fit our current situation, in a funny way."

"Idiots." D.O turned away from the pair in irritation and muttered under his breath. "I am surrounded by idiots."

D.O pushed Baekhyun away and Baekhyun let him go, but the tension was still there. It hovered over them like a thundercloud filled with rain, waiting to let go at any moment.

“How’s the Phantom program coming?” D.O asked Suho, who had been quietly watching the other agents, wondering what had made them explode on each other.

“It’s different.” Suho swallowed. “It’s like it’s learned all my hacking methods. Every time I change tactics, it somehow reassembles itself. I think whoever made the program did some homework on my hacking from the hotel. It’s gotten harder to crack, give me some more time.” 

“Try to hurry will you.” D.O turned back to the door, just as he reached it, his hand ready to touch its polished surface, it exploded.

With bang loud enough to wake the death themselves, the door crashed inward, knocking D.O to the ground, leaving the agent unconscious.

Baekhyun shot forward pulling his gun out and training it at the gaping space where the door used to be, splinters of wood raining down. 

“Suho, get into one of the bedrooms now!” Baekhyun yelled, snapping Suho out of his shock. “Hurry! Call Xiumin, we need backup, now!” 

Suho nodded, scrambling to his feet with the laptop and towards the bedroom, tapping at his watch.

“L’s down!” Suho blurted. “She’s not responding because of the Phantom program. It’s gotten into our systems somehow!”

Baekhyun gasped. They were fucked. Whoever, whatever had broken through the door was strong. Inhumanly strong. And L was down. They had no way to communicate with the others.

“Get in the room, get working, we need L up and running.”

Suho nodded. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me! Focus on the mission!” Baekhyun snapped. “Lock the door behind you and barricade yourself. Whatever you hear, no matter what it is. Do. Not. Open. The. Door. Do you understand!”

Suho shook slightly, his fingers tightening on the laptop as he nodded slowly then closed the door behind him.

Suho slide down against the door after he locked it. His sight blurred slightly as his eyes watered with unshed tears of fear. 

This was it. This was real. 

_“You’re too green. All you can do is sit behind your little laptop and type. You’re going to be nothing but a liability!”_

_“You’re nothing like the other agents. If anything, you could get everyone killed on a mission because they’ll be trying to cover your ass. You’re not Xiumin, Baekhyun, or Kai.”_

Lay’s words from the training room crashed over Suho like a tidal wave. Lay was right. No matter how much Suho didn’t want to admit it. Lay was right. He was a liability. Baekhyun and D.O would end up dying because of him. He couldn’t fight. Couldn’t do anything like the others. All he could do was sit behind his little laptop and type.

Suho took a deep breath and grabbed his laptop. He had work to do.

\---

Baekhyun stepped towards D.O slowly, keeping his eyes and gun trained on the door entrance.

“Who’s there!” Baekhyun yelled.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins, his eyes and ears alert, waiting for the slightest movement or sound.

Crouching down slightly, Baekhyun looked D.O over. The other agent was still unconscious and he had a nasty gash at his hairline. Blood ran down his face like a scar. Baekhyun reached down, just about to pull the door off of D.O when out of nowhere a red blur hurtled towards Baekhyun from his side, knocking the other agent onto his back. Baekhyun jumped up, using his legs to propel himself up onto his feet. He turned quickly only to get slammed against the wall, a thin but incredibly strong arm pinning him by the throat.

Baekhyun found himself face to face with the boy who had D.O had spotted in the hallway. Baekhyun gasped, his hands clawing at the boy’s arm. Realizing that his efforts were useless, Baekhyun sent his feet into the boy’s chest. 

The boy flew backward, crashing onto the couch in the living room. Baekhyun lunged forward and reached for his gun. Just before he could pull the trigger the boy was on him. He grabbed Baekhyun’s right hand, tightening his grip until the elder agent started yelling in pain. Baekhyun fell to his knees, pain shooting up his arm as the boy’s fingernails began to dig into his skin. The kid was going to break his wrist. 

Baekhyun dropped the gun, and pulled his combat knife from his boot with his left hand. Before the boy could block him, Baekhyun slashed at his face. The boy jerked back, letting go of him, but not fast enough. He yelped as Baekhyun’s knife nicked the flesh just under to edge of his eye. Blood splurted from the wound, trickling down the side of his face like mock tears.

The boy snarled, his face twisting coldly as he knocked the knife out of Baekhyun's hand with a swift kick. Baekhyun pulled changed his stance, striking the other with two sharp punches that the boy returned in equal measure.

Baekhyun could only hope that Suho was breaking through the Phantom program's firewalls, he didn't know how long he could keep up. Sweat dripped into his eyes and all he could taste was blood in his mouth. His body screamed in agony having never faced an opponent of such a high caliber. Baekhyun was getting tired, but his opponent didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat. Not to mention his inhuman strength and speed.

Baekhyun pulled out another gun, this one had been strapped to his thigh. Without pause he fired. The boy moved, dodging every bullet with the kind of speed no human should have. Once his gun was out of bullets, Baekhyun tossed it aside and tackled the boy to the floor, sending them both crashing through the glass mini table in the living room. He fought through the pain of the glass sinking into his skin. Baekhyun pulled his hand back, preparing to knock the boy out when the boy shot forward and smashed his forehead into Baekhyun’s face.

Baekhyun’s head snapped back as he let out a groan of pain. Black spots danced in front of his eyes. Blood flowed down from his nose and into his mouth as Baekhyun staggered away. The boy got up quickly and grabbed Baekhyun pulling the elder to his feet before sending him crashing down with a sharp right hook.

Blinking slowly as his head throbbed, Baekhyun could have sworn he had seen the boy’s eyes glow red. 

“Who are you?” Baekhyun croaked.

The boy did not answer, instead he lifted the gun Baekhyun had tried to aim at him earlier and pointed it at Baekhyun’s head.

“We are The Cause.” The boy spoke coldy, his face lacking all emotion.

Then he pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, hi? |･ω･) 
> 
> Greyscale's not dead! Yay! (o´▽`o) 
> 
> It's been quite a while. Gosh I don't even know where to start. It been more than a month now and I have to say I am terribly sorry for the wait. School's been beating me up, kinda like how Taeyong beat Baekhyun. I've had some ups and downs with my health as well (cold's spread so fast in school, like why do I keep catching them?!). Also I've had some really bad writer's block. I had my outline for this chapter done, but nothing I wrote felt right. I didn't want to disappoint you guys so I held off on posting. I just didn't feel like a good writer. ･ﾟ･(｡>ω<｡)･ﾟ･
> 
> Anywho, all that aside, what did you think of this chapter? I know it's short but this is what I could manage for now because its finals season (*cue my misery*). Kinda crazy isn't it? I can see your pitch forks and torches btw. Plz don't kill me because of the cliff-hanger. What did you think of Baekhyun and D.O's little scuffle? Also we have our first EXO vs. The Cause! Tell me what you thought of it! I've really missed updating and reading your comments!＼(≧▽≦)／ 
> 
> My Twitter is @grreyscale and my Instagram is @grreyscale_ Feel free to come say hi! I'm always up for a good chat!
> 
> See ya next time! ☆⌒(≧▽° )/

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! My name is Greyscale! (￣▽￣)ノ
> 
> This is my first published fanfic, so please bear with me. (*chuckles nervously because they have no idea what they are even saying*) (*/▽＼*)
> 
> So I saw this fan-made trailer by @Jisoosthumbs on YouTube called The Diamond Race, which has the same title as this work and I was inspired to write this. @Jisoosthumbs is an awesome video maker and editor, you should totally check out her material, aside from The Diamond race! I don't necessarily follow the same plot @Jisoosthumbs had on YouTube for The Diamond Race, but I want to give credit to the original idea. I also don't follow the plot because I wanted to add my own touch and I don't want you to expect what I'm going to write (sorry if that sounds a bit mean).
> 
> I'm a huge fan of @Unclassifiedsenpai, @Jongnugget, @SooSooDyo(Phinphin), @elderastarte, and many more (I highly recommend reading their fics if you haven't already. They are honestly so good!). They all sort of inspired me to publicly write this fic, so please enjoy! I love comments, so if you have something to say please do! Constructive criticism is welcome, but mean and rude comments are not. I do read the comments, and I will reply to any questions you may have about the story. I also give credit to those who ask questions in later chapter notes.
> 
> The tags on this story are a work in progress. So are the character relationships. For those who might be wondering what I mean, I am talking about the possible ships within the story. I've only just started, but I would like to make it clear, that even I have no idea who will end up with who yet. You are welcome to speculate, but don't assume, because it might not be what you think it is (*laughs evilly from the shadows*) (･ω<)☆.
> 
> I'm also a multi kpop fandom stan so please don't throw the kitchen sink at me if you see some other kpop groups in here (Who knows, I might even do a spin-off, if I finish this). I do occasionally reference the kpop music videos, fandom inside jokes, or theories within certain groups, so keep your eyes peeled. Let me know if you catch them in comments.
> 
> I will try to update this story every weekend, if not every two weeks. The chapters maybe long or short depending of whether or not school gets to me first. But I will do my best to update.
> 
> Thank you for reading this super long note, and thank you so much for picking this fic! It means a lot to me that you've chosen to read this! I'm going to get back to writing -->__〆(￣ー￣ ) because there will be many chapters!


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